Liturgical calendar
- T15.1 Annual Pascha from Era I (Polycarp, with John); fuller calendar from Era III; differences of custom tolerated (medium–high)
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 1 questions each rests on). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 325 Eusebius T15.1
T15 · Liturgical calendar
Observing feasts and seasons.
Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.
In short
Christians kept a yearly Easter (Pascha) from the earliest times: Polycarp did so as he had with the apostle John. Christmas and other feasts came later. Scripture allows festivals but forbids forcing them on anyone’s conscience. The Westminster Directory abolished holy days; Lutherans and Anglicans kept them as helpful but not binding.
Plan
Question: T15.1: should the church keep an annual calendar of feasts (Pascha and others)? Scripture: Rom 14:5–6; Gal 4:10; Col 2:16; 1 Cor 5:7–8. Fathers: Eusebius, Church History V.24 (Polycarp and Anicetus).
Questions
- T15.1 Liturgical calendar
Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.
T15.1 · Liturgical calendar
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T15.1 | Annual Pascha from Era I (Polycarp, with John); fuller calendar from Era III; differences of custom tolerated | Medium–high | T15.1.1 · T15.1.3 weighing | eusebius-t15-s1 | T15.1.4: medium |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | partly T15.1 | — |
| Orthodox | T15.1 | — |
| Oriental Orthodox | T15.1 | — |
| Lutheran | T15.1 | — |
| Anglican | T15.1 | — |
| Presbyterian | T15.1 | partly T15.1 |
| Reformed Baptist | T15.1 | partly T15.1 |
| General Baptist | partly T15.1 | — |
| Anabaptist | T15.1 | partly T15.1 |
Overall verdict
Pascha is Era I; traditions keeping feasts without binding consciences (Lutheran, Anglican) fit both measures best; abolishing all feasts departs from Era I.
Verification status
Baptist and Anabaptist practice to verify.