Abstract

This paper develops a formal theoretical framework for analyzing the emergence of self-referential ignorance within systems of religious text interpretation. Building upon the Universal Balance-Feedback Framework (UBFF), the study proposes that interpretive authority functions as a dynamic control mechanism operating within a feedback-driven epistemic system. While authority contributes to coherence and stability, excessive authority combined with insufficient corrective feedback generates a condition termed Self-Referential Ignorance (SRI), wherein the interpretive system loses the capacity to detect its own errors. Mathematical formulations are introduced to model the static relationships among authority, feedback, error detection, dogmatism, and epistemic closure, with directions for future dynamical extension identified. The resulting framework provides a generalized theory applicable not only to religion but also to science, politics, law, ideology, and other knowledge-generating systems.