Sacred tradition or holy tradition is a theological term used in some Christian traditions, primarily in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Anglican traditions, to refer to the foundation of the authority of the Church and of the scriptures. The word "tradition" is taken from the Latin trado, tradere meaning "to hand over, to deliver, to bequeath". The teachings of Jesus and the Apostles are preserved in writing in the Bible as well as word of mouth and are handed on. This perpetual handing-on of the Tradition is called a living Tradition; it is the transmission of the teachings of the Apostles from one generation to the next. The term "deposit of faith" (Latin: fidei depositum) refers to the entirety of Jesus Christ's revelation, and is passed to successive generations in two different forms, sacred scripture (the Bible) and sacred tradition (through the Magisterium of the Church). In the theology of these churches, sacred scripture is the written part of this larger tradition, recording (albeit sometimes through the work of individual authors) the community's experience of God or more specifically of Jesus Christ. Hence the Bible must be interpreted within the context of sacred tradition and within the community of the church. This is in contrast to many Protestant traditions, which teach that the Bible alone is a sufficient basis for all Christian teaching (a position known as sola scriptura).

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