Creating the Canon
Description
ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award
Unraveling the Origins of the New Testament Canon
Despite the profound influence of the New Testament, a variety of questions related to its background and history remain common. Contemporary readers often find the subject of the canon's origin and formation to be complicated and confusing, while scholars continue to struggle to find agreement about basic elements of the canon's development. In this engaging study, Benjamin P. Laird explores several misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked topics in order to provide fresh insight and clarity about the canon's creation and modern relevance. The volume addresses questions such as:
- Was there a single "original autograph" of each New Testament writing?
- Who exactly were the "original readers" of the New Testament writings?
- Did theological controversies play a decisive role in prompting the canon's formation?
- How did such a diverse body of writings come together to form a single canonical collection?
- Is there a basis for the canon's ongoing authority?
Wide-ranging yet accessible, Creating the Canon offers an illuminating treatment of the composition, formation, and authority of the New Testament andserves as a valuable guide to those with limited prior study. Creating the Canon is perfect for anyone seeking to further understand how the church got the New Testament, and it is an ideal supplemental text for courses including biblical studies, church history, theology, or any class exploring the development and authority of the New Testament canon.
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Person
Benjamin P. Laird (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is associate professor of biblical studies at the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University. His publications include The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity, 40 Questions aboutthe Apostle Paul, Five Views on the New Testament Canon, and the forthcoming The New Testament Canon in Contemporary Research. He lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife and five children.
Content
Abbreviations Introduction Part One: Questions Relating to the Composition of the New Testament Writings 1. The Composition of the New Testament Writings 2. The Original Autographs of the New Testament Writings 3. The Original Readers of the New Testament Writings Part Two: Questions Relating to the Formation of the New Testament Canon 4. Theological Controversies and the Formation of the New Testament Canon 5. The Primary Witnesses to the Early State of the New Testament Canon 6. The Canonical Sub-Collections and the Formation of the New Testament Canon Part Three: Questions Relating to the Authority of the New Testament Canon 7. Apostolicityand the Formation of the New Testament Canon 8. Apostolic Authorship and the Authority of the New Testament Canon Bibliography Indexes
