Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Every religion derives its authority of influence on its adherents from its core beliefs, doctrines and practices that originate from the deity or deities which constitute the main object of its veneration and worship. In some cases, this is achieved through the agency of selected human devotees who being the prime contacts in the divine-human relationship, and first receivers of divine inspiration subsequently serve as founders of such religions. Authority in the Christian religion stems from its role as a framework for belief and practice within the faith. The Scripture from where authority is mainly derived provides a system of beliefs, values and rules that guide the faithful in spiritual lives. Generally, all Christian denominations agree that the Scripture, being the inspired word of God is infallible. Attitude to authority varies across Christian denominations, with some emphasizing scripture, tradition, or the pronouncement of religious leaders and the decisions of councils as their primary sources of authority. In others, religious groups or movements, leaders derive authority from their perceived charisma, spiritual gifts or their cult of personality. The doctrine of the infallibility of the pope which a significant pillar of Roman Catholic Theology, and which is part of the major focus of this paper marks a major point of disagreement among different Christian denominations in the multi-faceted presentation of Christian beliefs and persuasions across Christendom. Using the secondary sources of data collection through written works and the analytical approach, this paper sets out to outline the historical origins and the stand of the Anglican Communion to the contentious issue of papal infallibility in relation to the Anglican understanding of authority, as stipulated in her Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, especially Article XXI. While appreciating the high utility value of the doctrine of papal infallibility as a source of deep confidence, stability, rallying point and guidance in Roman Catholicism, this work surmises in alignment with the Anglican and reformed church traditions, that the achievement of infallibility in any facet of Christian theology and practice among both the human leaders and the lay faithful remains a tall order, because infallibility belongs only to God and his word, one of whose major divine characteristics is perfection. This is more so because members of the so-called “Church militant” (Christians still fighting against sin, the flesh, and the devil in their state of physical existence) are still susceptible to error, whether as individuals or as a group, obviously due to their inherent propensity to sin and human imperfection.

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