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| Christian biblical canon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Christian biblical canon |
| Caption | Early printed edition of the Bible showing canonical divisions |
| Subject | Religious texts |
| Period | Biblical antiquity to present |
| Region | Levant, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Western Europe, Ethiopia |
Christian biblical canon
The Christian biblical canon denotes the collection of sacred books that various Christian communities recognize as authoritative for doctrine, worship, and moral instruction. It developed through interactions among authors, communities, ecclesiastical leaders, councils, and manuscripts across regions such as the Judean Desert, Alexandria, and Rome. Debates about inclusion and exclusion involved figures like Irenaeus, Athanasius of Alexandria, Jerome, and councils such as the Council of Trent and the Synod of Hippo.
The term "canon" derives from the Greek κανών via Latin usage and denotes a rule or measuring rod applied to texts by bodies including the Apostolic Fathers, Ecumenical Councils, and local synods. Definitions distinguish the Old Testament corpus—rooted in Hebrew Bible collections such as the Masoretic Text—from the New Testament writings attributed to apostles and early teachers like Paul the Apostle, John the Apostle, and Luke the Evangelist. Canonical lists often reference specific works: the Gospels, the Psalms, the Prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah), the Catholic Epistles (e.g., James the Just), and the Catholic and Orthodox canonical traditions.
Canonical formation unfolded across centuries: pre-Christian Jewish collections in Second Temple Judaism informed Christian use, while early Christian canon formation involved debates at gatherings such as the Council of Nicaea (indirectly) and local synods in North Africa, Antioch, and Alexandria. Key milestones include the Festal Letter of Athanasius of Alexandria (367 CE) listing 27 New Testament books, the Councils of Carthage (397 CE) endorsing similar lists, and later medieval and Reformation disputes resolved in measures like the Thirty-nine Articles and the Council of Trent (1546) affirming the Latin Vulgate canon. Regional manuscript traditions—Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus—shaped acceptance and transmission.
Different communions maintain variant canons. The Roman Catholic Church includes the deuterocanonical books such as Tobit and Maccabees affirmed by the Council of Trent. Protestantism generally follows the Hebrew Bible for the Old Testament and accepts the 27-book New Testament, influenced by figures like Martin Luther who debated the status of James the Just and Revelation. The Eastern Orthodox Church retains broader Old Testament collections reflected in the Septuagint and regional councils like the Synod of Jerusalem (1672). The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church recognizes an especially large canon including works like 1 Enoch and Jubilees. The Church of England and other Anglican bodies negotiated middle positions exemplified by the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-nine Articles.
Communities evaluated texts using criteria such as apostolicity (association with apostles like Peter or John), orthodoxy (agreement with rule of faith articulated by leaders like Irenaeus), catholicity (widespread liturgical use in places like Rome and Alexandria), and antiquity. Practical factors included manuscript availability (e.g., codex circulation), liturgical usage in Eucharist and read evangelistically, and theological utility for disputations with groups such as the Gnostics and Marcion of Sinope. Church fathers such as Origen and Eusebius of Caesarea cataloged disputed and accepted works, influencing later councils and canon lists.
Numerous writings were excluded or labeled apocryphal, pseudepigraphal, or heretical. Examples include the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and works associated with Marcionism and various Gnostic schools. Jewish intertestamental literature like 1 Enoch and Sirach enjoyed varying acceptance: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) entered the Catholic canon while 1 Enoch is canonical in Ethiopia. Patristic authors debated texts such as the Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache, which enjoyed early liturgical use but were later excluded from some canons. Apocryphal narratives also shaped popular devotion and iconography across Byzantium and medieval Western Europe.
Canons structured doctrinal formulations at councils like Chalcedon and informed creedal developments exemplified by the Nicene Creed. The presence or absence of specific books influenced sacramental theology, theological emphases (e.g., Justification by faith controversies involving Paul the Apostle), and liturgical lectionaries used in rites of the Latin Church, Byzantine Rite, and Coptic Orthodox Church. Canonical status affected preaching, catechesis, and monastic reading practices in institutions such as the Benedictine Order and Mount Athos communities, shaping art, hymnography, and sacramental formularies.
Contemporary scholarship employs textual criticism with manuscripts like Dead Sea Scrolls, Codex Alexandrinus, and Codex Bezae to reconstruct transmission history and assess variant readings. Disciplines including Source criticism, Form criticism, and Redaction criticism examine composition, community context, and editorial processes linked to authors like Matthew the Evangelist and Paul the Apostle. Debates continue over canonical boundaries, the role of apocrypha, the authority of translations such as the Vulgate and King James Version, and the implications of discoveries like the Nag Hammadi library for understanding early Christian diversity. Ecumenical dialogues among World Council of Churches participants and bilateral conversations between Roman Catholic Church and Lutheran World Federation address hermeneutical and canonical concerns.
Category:Biblical canons