The Formation of the Biblical Canon: 2 Volumes: : Lee Martin McDonald: T&T Clark

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: 2 Volumes

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 on this subject -- 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 reexamines 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. The 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. Comprehensive appendices showing various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as as a whole are also included.

Volume 1: The Old Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity
Title Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Abbreviations and Table of Timelines for Canon Formation
Preface

Part One: Introductions and Definitions
1. Introduction
2. The Notion and Use of Scripture
3. The Notion and Use of Canon
Part Two: The Origin and Formation of the Hebrew Bible
4. Forming the Hebrew Bible
5. The Law, the Prophets, and the Cessation of Prophecy
6. Hellenism and the Formation of the Hebrew Bible
7. Jewish Sects: Essenes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Samaritans
8. Emerging Jewish and Christian Collections of Scriptures
9. The Scriptures of Jesus and Early Christianity
10. Texts Reflecting an Emerging Biblical Canon
11. Scripture in the Rabbinic Tradition (90 – 550 C.E.)
12. Ancient Artifacts and the Stabilization of the Jewish Scriptures
13. The Formation of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament: A Summary

Primary Sources Index
Author Index
Subject Index

Volume Two: The New Testament: Its Origin and Canonicity

1. From Story to Scripture: The Beginnings, Traditions, and the Gospels
2. New Testament Writings as Scripture
3. From Scripture to Canon: Tracing the Origins
4. Authorities in Early Christianity: Tradition, Scripture, and the Spirit
5. The Influence of Heresy on the Formation of the Bible
6. The Literary Artifacts of Antiquity and Canonization
7. Codices, Nomina Sacra, Catalogues, and Citations
8. Collections, Councils, and Canon Formation
9. The Criteria Question
10. Final Reflections
Appendices
A. OT Canon lists
B. James Sanders' Canon Lists
C. NT Canon Lists

Select Bibliography

Primary Sources Index
Author Index
Subject Index

Product details

Published	26 Jan 2017
Format	Pack
Edition	1st
ISBN	9780567669339
Imprint	T&T Clark
Dimensions	Not specified
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

A work of immense scholarship yet made very readable across its mighty two volumes.

Reference Reviews
Lee McDonald's work on the canon is the culmination of a lifetime's work. It is simply the most comprehensive and thorough treatment of the subject available. It should be a basic reference work.

John J. Collins, Yale University, USA
Lee McDonald continues to amaze us with his wisdom, wide experience and knowledge on the formation, nature, and content of the biblical canon. this enriched edition is an absolute must for all those interested in all the literatures and religions covered by this book.

Emanuel Tov, Dead Sea Scrolls Publication Project, Israel
The question of canon is both interesting and crucial. What was the process that led to the recognition of the sacred collection of Scripture as we now know it? Lee McDonald has devoted much of his distinguished career to the question of the canon of the Old and the New testaments. In The Formation of the Biblical Canon McDonald shares his considerable knowledge as he presents the evidence that we have from antiquity and then carefully assesses its significance. It goes without saying that his work is must-reading for anyone who is interested in the question of canon.

Tremper Longman III, Westmont College, USA
McDonald provides the most thorough account of the formation of the Biblical canon currently available. He considers the texts not only from the perspective of formal discussions and manuscript evidence of "canon" but, even more importantly, from the perspective of their functioning as "scripture" across a broad spectrum of religious communities prior, and prerequisite to, such discussions. He considers as well the historical developments that contributed to the delineation of "canon" as opposed to the fluid collection of "scripture." The present two-volume work is the culmination of a career-long fascination with, and investigation into, the question of how the collections of both testaments came about it; it is nothing less than a landmark contribution.

David A. deSilva, Ashland Theological Seminary, USA
In what is arguably the definitive treatment of the formation and character of the biblical canon today, Lee McDonald offers us an exhaustive and insightful gift! In its revised and expanded form, this two-volume text presents a detailed treatment of how the texts of the Old and New Testaments were gathered over many centuries and diverse contexts, elucidating their meaning and guiding their interpretation as authoritative texts.

Paul N. Anderson, George Fox University, USA