The biblical canon : its origin, transmission, and authority / Lee Martin McDonald. [print]

Revised edition of: Formation of the Christian biblical canon. c1988.

Part 1. Scripture and canon

1. Introduction -- I. Some tough questions about the Bible -- II. An adaptable Bible -- III> Emergence of the Old Testament and New Testament -- IV. Process(es) of canonization

2. The notion and use of scripture -- I Scribes and scriptures in the ancient world -- II. The scriptures of ancient Israel

3. The notion and use of canon -- I. Canons in the ancient world -- II. Biblical and faith canons -- III. Canon 1 and Canon 2 -- IV. Defiling the hands: A Jewish notion of Canon -- V. Canon characteristics: Adaptability and life -- Virgin Islands Summary

Part 2. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament canon.

4. Origins of the Hebrew Bible -- I.The Law as Sacred Scripture -- II.Recognition of the Prophets as Scripture -- III.The Writings and a Three-Part Canon -- A.Sirach 49:8-10-- B.Prologue to Sirach -- C.2 Maccabees 2:13-15 -- D.Philo, On the Contemplative Life 25-29-- E.4QMMT-- F.Luke 24:44-- G.Luke 11:48-51 and Matthew 23:34-35 -- IV.The Myth of an Alexandrian Canon -- V.The Biblical Canon in the First Century C.E .-- A.The Emerging Scriptural Canon -- B.1 Enoch: A Troubling Exception -- C.Song of Songs: Hermeneutics and Canon

5. Early Jewish scriptures -- I.Greek Bible -- A.Greek Language and Culture among Jews -- B.Origin and Use of the Greek Scriptures -- II.Essenes and Their Sacred Scriptures -- A.Background of the Essene Community -- B.Scriptures at Qumran -- 1.Old Testament Texts -- 2.Sectarian Literature -- 3.Biblical Commentaries -- 4.Late Jewish Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Works -- III.Samaritan Bible -- IV.Scriptures of the Sadducees -- A.Background -- B.Scriptures of the Sadducees -- V.Jewish Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings: Literature That Did Not Make the Cut -- Virgin IslandsDecanonization: Subtracting Sacred Books

6. Stabilization of the Hebrew Bible -- I.The Twenty-two Book Canon -- A.Josephus -- B.Jubilees 2.23-24 -- II.The Twenty-four Book Canon -- A.4 Ezra 14:22-48 -- B.Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra 14b-15a -- III.The Twenty-three Book Canon: D. N. Freedman -- IV.Summary

7. Rabbinic tradition (90-550 C.E.) -- I.Cessation of Prophecy -- II.Myth of the Council at Jamnia -- III.The Bible in the Rabbinic Tradition -- A.Torah -- B.Noncanonical Books -- C.Sirach -- D.The Mishnah's Use of Scripture -- E.Outside Books -- F.Cairo Genizah -- IV.Writings of Rabbinic Judaism -- A.Mishnah and Related Writings -- B.Targums -- V.Conclusion

8. The scriptures of Jesus and early Christianity -- I.The Biblical Canon of Jesus -- II.The New Testament's Use of Scripture -- III.The Inviolability of Scripture -- IV.The Church Fathers and the Old Testament Canon -- A.Eastern Church Fathers -- 1.Melito -- 2.Origen -- 3.Athanasius -- 4.Synopsis scripturae sacrae -- 5.Cyril of Jerusalem -- 6.Gregory of Nazianzus -- 7.Bryennios Canon -- 8.Epiphanius -- B.Western Church Fathers -- 1.Hilary of Poitiers -- 2.Jerome -- 3.Augustine -- 4.Rufinus -- C.Summary -- V.Authority of the Old Testament in Early Christianity -- Virgin IslandsChurch Council Decisions -- Virgin IslandsI.The Codices and the Biblical Canon -- Virgin IslandsII.Unsettled Questions -- A.Concern for an Old Testament Canon -- B.Concern about an Ambiguous Biblical Canon -- C.Concern about Criteria for Establishing a Canon -- IX.Summary and Conclusion -- Excursus: The Use of the Septuagint in the New Testament by R. Timothy McLay

Part 3. New Testament canon.

9. From story to scripture: emergence of the New Testament writings as scripture -- I.From Oral Tradition to Written Documents -- II.Gospels -- A.Authority of the Gospels in the Early Church -- B.Citations of the Gospel Tradition in the Early Church -- C.Emergence of Authorship: Oral Tradition to Memoirs -- D.Authorship and Authority: Memoirs to Gospels -- III.Paul's Writings -- IV.From Authoritative Documents to Scripture -- A.New Testament Writings Functioning as Scripture -- B.Scripture-like References to New Testament Writings -- 1.2 Clement -- 2.Epistle of Barnabas -- 3.Ignatius -- 4.Polycarp -- 5.2 Peter -- 6.Ptolemy -- 7.Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne -- 8.Tatian -- 9.Athenagoras -- 10.Theophilus of Antioch -- 11.Summary -- V.Conclusion

10. From Scripture to Canon: Tracing the Origins of the New Testament Canon -- I.Justin and the Roots of Christian Scripture -- II.Irenaeus and the Principle of Scripture -- A.The Principle of Scripture -- B.Irenaeus and the Notion of Canon -- C.Irenaeus's Influence -- D.Irenaeus's List of Scriptures -- III.Clement of Alexandria and a Broad Scripture Collection -- IV.Tertullian and Levels of Scriptural Authority -- V.Origen and the Use of Written Traditions -- Virgin IslandsEusebius and the Emergence of a Fixed Biblical Canon -- Virgin IslandsI.Burning Sacred Books -- Virgin IslandsII.Constantine and the Call to Uniformity -- IX.Production of Fifty Sacred Books -- X.Summary

11. Influence of Heretics -- I.Marcion and Marcionites -- II.Gnostics and Gnosticism -- III.Montanists -- IV.Conclusion -- V.Excursus: New Testament Apocrypha

12. Books, Texts, and Translations -- I.Books and the Biblical Canon -- A.The Art of Writing -- B.The Codex and the Biblical Canon -- II.Text Criticism -- III.Translations -- A.Early Translations -- B.Modern Translations -- IV.Conclusion

13. Collections and Citations of Christian Scriptures -- I.Ancient Lists of Scriptures -- A.Introduction -- B.Marcion -- C.Valentinus -- D.Muratorian Fragment -- E.Athanasius of Alexandria -- F.Cyril of Jerusalem -- G.Other Lists -- H.Summary -- II.Early Citations, Parallels, and Allusions to New Testament Writings -- A.Gospels -- 1.Matthew -- 2.Mark -- 3.Luke -- 4.John -- B.Acts -- C.Paul's Writings -- 1.Romans -- 2.1 Corinthians -- 3.2 Corinthians -- 4.Galatians -- 5.Ephesians -- 6.Philippians -- 7.Colossians -- 8.1-2 Thessalonians -- 9.Pastoral Epistles -- a.1 Timothy -- born2 Timothy -- c.Titus -- 10.Philemon -- D.Hebrews -- E.General Epistles -- 1.James -- 2.1 Peter -- 3.2 Peter -- 4.1 John -- 5.2-3 John -- 6.Jude -- F.Revelation -- III.Summary

14. The Criteria Question -- I.Identifying Christian Scriptures -- II.What Criteria Did the Churches Employ? -- A.Apostolicity -- B.Orthodoxy -- C.Antiquity -- D.Use -- E.Adaptability -- F.Inspiration -- III.Summary

Final Reflections

Appendix A. An Outline of Canon Research: Primary Sources and Questions

I.The Old Testament Canon -- A.Primary Sources for the Study of the Old Testament Canon Formation -- B.Questions for the Study of the Formation of the Old Testament Canon -- II.The New Testament Canon A. Primary Sources for the Study of the Formation of the New Testament Canon -- B. Questions for the Study of the Formation of the New Testament Canon -- III.Conclusions

Appendix B. Lists and Catalogues of Old Testament Collections

Table B-1: Old Testament Lists from the Eastern Churches -- Table B-2: Old Testament Lists from the Western Churches -- Table B-3: Old Testament Lists from Important Uncial Manuscripts -- Table B-4: Current Canons of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Appendix C. Lists and Catalogues of New Testament Collections

Table C-1: Three Early New Testament Lists Based on Eusebius -- Table C-2: New Testament Lists from the Fourth Century -- Table C-3: New Testament Lists from the Fifth and Sixth Centuries -- Table C-4: New Testament Lists from Biblical Manuscripts of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries

Other Appendices

Appendix D. New Testament Citations of and Allusions to Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings -- Appendix E. Brevard Childs's Canonical Approach -- Select Bibliography -- Index of Modern Authors -- Index of Subjects -- Index of Ancient Sources

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