Biblical inerrancy

Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible, in its original form, is entirely free from error.

The belief in biblical inerrancy is of particular significance within parts of evangelicalism, where it is formulated in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In contrast to American evangelicalism, it has minimal influence on contemporary British evangelicalism. Some groups equate inerrancy with biblical infallibility or with the necessary clarity of scripture; others do not.

The Catholic Church also holds a limited belief in biblical inerrancy, affirming that the original writings in the original language, including the Deuterocanonical books, are free from error insofar as they convey the truth God intended for the sake of human salvation. However, descriptions of natural phenomena are not to be taken as inspired and inerrant scientific assertions, but reflect the language and contemporary understanding of the writers.

The belief in biblical inerrancy has been criticised by scientists, biblical scholars, and religious skeptics, insofar as the scope of inerrancy leads to conflict with the scientific method and the historical record. In contrast, Christians who do not believe in biblical literalism focus more instead on what is intended to be written in scripture than the veracity of what is written.

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