Dogma

Dogma (Greek an authoritative opinion, a decree), in Theology, a doctrine accepted as matter of faith, to be received without question as of divine authority. While Protestant theology, however, holds that only that is dogma which can be shown to be Apostolic, and that its proof must be sought solely in the Scriptures, some High Church Anglican theologians would also appeal to tradition; while the Roman Catholic Church holds that the decisions of General Councils of the Church on dogma are authoritative and that the Pope may from time to time so interpret tradition as to declare that certain doctrines are dogmas of the Church. The development and history of Christian dogma, and the interdependence and mutual relations of the articles of the Christian faith, are dealt with by the study known as "Dogmatic Theology," which has been much studied of late years, particularly in Germany. The names of Harnack and Dorner may be mentioned in this connection.