Evangelical scholars further explain support for Biblical inerrancy

(RNS) A group of evangelical scholars has taken the first step to more clearly state its support of biblical inerrancy, the belief that the Bible is without error.

Members of the Evangelical Theological Society, who gathered for their annual meeting Nov. 17-19 in San Antonio, adopted a resolution that further explains the group's two-sentence "doctrinal basis" that declares the Bible is inerrant.

"The case for biblical inerrancy rests on the absolute trustworthiness of God and Scripture's testimony to itself," reads the resolution, which was approved by a 4-to-1 margin.

It also states that members should refer to the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, created in 1978, as a further explanation of the group's stance.

The action followed a meeting last year in which two scholars were almost ousted as members after declaring their support of open theism - the belief that God can "change his mind" depending on the actions of humans. Some society members thought the position of those scholars violated the group's commitment to inerrancy.