The Formation of the Biblical Canon Volume II: The New Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity

Description

Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon — the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes – in sum more than double the length of his previous works – McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute ‘the bible’ was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered ‘canonical’ that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils. In the first volume McDonald re-examines issues of canon formation once considered settled, and sets the range of texts that make up the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) in their broader context. Each individual text is discussed, as are the cultural, political and historical situations surrounding them. This second volume considers the New Testament, and the range of so-called ‘apocryphal’ gospels that were written in early centuries, and used by many Christian groups before the canon was closed. Also included are comprehensive appendices which show various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as a whole. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Part 3: THE FORMATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON Chapter 14: FROM STORY TO SCRIPTURE : THE EMERGENCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS AS SCRIPTURE I. When and Where the New Testament Began II. From Oral Tradition to Written Documents III. The Canonical Gospels: Their Use and Authority in the Early Churches Chapter 15: NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS AS SCRIPTURE I. Paul’s Letters II. New Testament Writings Functioning as Scripture III. Scripture-Like References to New Testament Writings IV. After the Second Century, What Then? V. Conclusion Chapter 16: FROM SCRIPTURE TO CANON: TRACING THE ORIGINS I. Justin and the Roots of Christian Scripture II. Irenaeus and the Principle of Scripture III. Clement of Alexandria and a Broad Scripture Collection IV. Tertullian and Levels of Scriptural Authority V. Origen and the Use of Written Traditions VI. Eusebius and the Emergence of a Fixed Biblical Canon VII. The Burning of Sacred Books VIII. Constantine and the Call to Uniformity IX. Production of Fifty Sacred Books X. Summary Chapter 17: AUTHORITIES IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY: TRADITION, SCRIPTURE, AND THE SPIRIT I. Authorities in Early Christianity II. Creeds, Ecclesiastical Tradition, and Biblical Canons III. A Mixture of Authority IV. Early Christianity, the Holy Spirit, and Scripture V. The Holy Spirit and Canon Formation: A Summary VI. Arguments for Early New Testament Canonization VII. Conclusion Chapter 18: THE INFLUENCE OF HERESY ON THE FORMATION OF THE BIBLE I. Introduction: Some Current Confusion II. Marcion and Marcionites III. Gnostics and Gnosticism IV. Montanists IV. Summary and Conclusions Excursus: The New Testament Apocrypha Chapter 19: THE LITERARY ARTIFACTS OF ANTIQUITY AND CANONIZATION I. Introduction: The Importance of Ancient Artifacts II. The Biblical Manuscripts III. The Origin and Function of Textual Criticism IV. Ancient Acknowledgement of Textual Variants V. A Stabilized Greek Text VI. The “Original” Text VII. Translations of the Bible VIII. Conclusion Chapter 20: CODICES, NOMINA SACRA, CATALOGUES, AND CITATIONS I. Introduction: Some Important Issues II. The Use of the Codex III. The Christian Use of Nomina Sacra IV. The Books in the Early Christian Manuscripts V. Catalogues of Books and Canon Formation VI. Early Citations, Parallels, and Allusions VII. Summary Chapter 21: COLLECTIONS, COUNCILS, AND CANON FORMATION I. Ancient Catalogues of Scriptures and Biblical Canons II. Marcion III. Valentinus IV. The Muratorian Fragment: A Second-, Third-, or Fourth-Century Document? V. Athanasius of Alexandria (ca. 296–373) VI. Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315–386) VII. Other Related Catalogues VIII. Summary of Lists IX. Church Councils and the Biblical Canon X. Summary Chapter 22: THE CRITERIA QUESTION I. Identifying Christian Scriptures II. What Criteria Did the Churches Employ? III. Summary Chapter 23: FINAL REFLECTIONS APPENDICES Appendix C: Lists and Catalogues of New Testament Scriptures Appendix D: Current Catalogues of New Testament Scriptures Select Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors Index of Subjects