EBOOK
Creating the Canon
Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament
Benjamin P. Laird5
(1)
About
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 and serves as a valuable guide to those with limited prior study.
• 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 and serves as a valuable guide to those with limited prior study.
Related Subjects
Reviews
"Creating the Canon is a dependable guide for the early formation of the New Testament. It not only introduces the major scholarly voices in the debate, it also is structured to answer several common questions regarding the composition, formation, and the authority of the New Testament. Though the questions are common, Laird does not merely offer simple answers; rather, his work engages insights from textual criticism and canon research to address the origin, extent, and authority of the canon. Accessible to the student, yet filled with insights for teachers and scholars, Laird's volume will be a helpful reference tool for many and provide a gateway into deeper canon studies for others-highly recommended!"
Darian R. Lockett, professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola Universi
"For those who wrestle with the nature and significance of the scriptural canon in modern Christianity and wonder about its ancient origins, Benjamin Laird's book cuts a lucid and engaging path through many aspects of the canon's composition, formation, and authority. Laird writes both as a historian and as a Christian, combining critical attention to sources and hermeneutics with a personal sense of the importance of these questions today."
Jane Heath, Durham University