Inerrancy

This chapter begins with an attempted definition of the term ‘inerrancy’ before going on to discuss its history and development. This includes a consideration of the origins of fundamentalism as well as noting the influence of B. B. Warfield, A. A. Hodge, and the Princetonian tradition. The chapter then turns to the publication of a volume by Jack Rogers and Donald McKim which sparked the modern debate on inerrancy. In the book, The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible: An Historical Approach, Rogers and McKim opposed the use of the word ‘inerrancy’. Those who opposed Rogers and McKim’s argument gathered in conference and this led to the publication of The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. The debate centred upon whether the word ‘infallibility’ or the word ‘inerrancy’ should be used in defining the nature and authority of Scripture. The chapter goes on to analyse the use of the term ‘inerrancy’, noting first the arguments against its use, followed by the inerrantists’ defence of their position. In conclusion, the chapter argues that those evangelicals who want to use the term ‘inerrancy’ and those who prefer to speak about the ‘trustworthiness’ of the Scripture have a great deal in common and that much of the debate is terminological rather than substantive.