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Fasting rules

In short
  • T17.1 Weekly fasts (Wednesday, Friday) from Era I; Lent from Era III (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

1 Catholic 75% 1/1 q
2 Orthodox 75% 1/1 q
3 Oriental Orthodox 75% 1/1 q
4 Lutheran 75% 1/1 q
5 Anglican 75% 1/1 q
6 Presbyterian 75% 1/1 q
7 Reformed Baptist 75% 1/1 q
8 General Baptist 75% 1/1 q
9 Anabaptist 75% 1/1 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Catholic 100% 1/1 q
2 Orthodox 100% 1/1 q
3 Oriental Orthodox 100% 1/1 q
4 Lutheran 75% 1/1 q
5 Anglican 75% 1/1 q
6 General Baptist 75% 1/1 q
7 Presbyterian 50% 1/1 q
8 Reformed Baptist 50% 1/1 q
9 Anabaptist 50% 1/1 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · T17.1: 4/4 — Lent; Friday abstinence4Orthodox · T17.1: 4/4 — Wednesday and Friday; Lent4Oriental Orthodox · T17.1: 4/4 — Extensive fasting calendar4Lutheran · T17.1: 3/4 — AC XXVI: fasting commended, not imposed3Anglican · T17.1: 3/4 — 1662 'Table of Fasts': Lent, Fridays3Presbyterian · T17.1: 2/4 — WCF XXI.5: 'solemn fastings' on occasions2Reformed Baptist · T17.1: 2/4 — 1689 22.5 (occasional)2General Baptist · T17.1: 3/4 — Orthodox Creed 42: public humiliation by fasting (OCR heading)3Anabaptist · T17.1: 2/4 — Not stated2T17.1conf. medium–high
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Didache (c. 100) · T17.1Didachec. 100 · T17.1Westminster Confession (1646) · PresbyterianWestminster Confession1646 · Presbyterian
  1. c. 100 Didache T17.1
  2. 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian

T17 · Fasting rules

Practice and discipline.

Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.

In short

Jesus expected his followers to fast but did not set days. The Didache, from around AD 100, already has Christians fasting every Wednesday and Friday; Lent followed in the 300s. The Orthodox churches keep these fasts most fully; Reformed churches fast only on special occasions.

Plan

Question: T17.1: should the church keep fixed fast days (weekly fasts, Lent)? Scripture: Matt 6:16–18; 9:15; Acts 13:2–3; 14:23; Rom 14:5–6; Col 2:16–23. Fathers: Didache 8.

Questions

Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.

T17.1 · Fasting rules

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
T17.1Weekly fasts (Wednesday, Friday) from Era I; Lent from Era IIIMedium–highT17.1.1 · T17.1.3 weighingdidache-t17-s1T17.1.4: 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.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
CatholicT17.1—
OrthodoxT17.1—
Oriental OrthodoxT17.1—
Lutheranpartly T17.1—
Anglicanpartly T17.1—
PresbyterianT17.1partly T17.1
Reformed BaptistT17.1partly T17.1
General Baptistpartly T17.1—
AnabaptistT17.1partly T17.1

Overall verdict

Fixed weekly fasts are Era I; traditions keeping them fit the fathers best; Scripture expects fasting but leaves its days free.

Verification status

Several cells to verify.