The common word approach focuses on the words found in at least three passages of the gospels. It puts aside tradition formed by the decisions that we believe that the Church has made over the centuries under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Two millennia of tradition have added depth to our beliefs. The common words text does not define, by itself, the full set of beliefs of our Christian faith.
The choice of the gospel texts is itself a product of tradition. The early Church chose the four authors of the gospels and rejected other texts. The common word approach, therefore, does not reject tradition, being in a way a product itself of tradition, but offers a tool to analyze the core message of Jesus.
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