The ultimate authority for the Christian community is God, who is indwelling the Church the body of Christ.
So the universal collective consensus of the Christian community is the arbiter of authoritative doctrine and practice on earth for the Church.
In order to discern the voice of God in the world today the Church uses four witnesses. They are Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Personal Experience.
When these agree, we can be fairly certain that we are hearing the voice of God. But we still need to stay humble and open, for we only know in part as we see through a glass dimly.
Dr. Jay N Forrest is a Spiritual Teacher of the Anglican Middle Way, writing on Prayer, Meditation, and Mysticism. Jay became a Christian in 1983, attended Bible school, and eventually earned his Doctorate in Ministry. Jay served as a Protestant minister for 27 years, took catechism classes with the Orthodox Church of America, and spent about a decade practicing Buddhism. In 2005, Jay was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church, but has since joined the Episcopal Church.
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