The Origin of the Bible: A Guide For the Perplexed

Description

Just how did the Jewish and Christian Bibles come together? Why were some ancient texts excluded? Or included and later rejected? What were the criteria? This volume deals with a significant issue in light of the many and significant discoveries of ancient sacred or religious texts that were not included in the Jewish or Christian Bibles. Because of the focus in the news media in recent years on those extra-canonical books that have come to light in the last century - and even more recently, there is need for clarification of the processes involved in the formation of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. Why were some books included and others excluded? Why were some included initially and subsequently rejected? Was there a church cover-up as some in the media have suggested? As a result of all of this and more, considerable attention is now focused on the use and function of the so-called non-canonical religious texts that are not now a part of the Bibles of various religious communities. Why did the Bible come together? What criteria were used in making decisions about inclusion and exclusion? The proposed volume addresses these questions and others that are critical to a careful understanding of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. The methodology employed in the writing of this book is described below. It is important to take this discussion outside of the scholars' guild and into the hands of the laity, especially those educated college graduates and undergraduates whose interest in this subject has grown over the past twenty or more years. Currently there are no useful volumes on this subject that is geared to them. Scholars continue to talk past them and all too often only to each other about these matters. This volume is designed to fill this void and make the topic more clear for those without the technical academic skills to explore these matters in the ancient languages. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Lee M. McDonald is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament Studies Emeritus of Acadia Divinity School, Nova Scotia and Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He serves as Scholar in Residence for the American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles and the American Baptist Congregations of the Southwest and Hawaii.

Lee McDonald is widely perceived to be in the front ranks of specialists on the origin of the Bible and the evolution of the canon. In this book, in a lucid engaging fashion, McDonald guides those who are perplexed about such origins. Jews and Christians find the revelation of God's Will in the Bible and thereby establish a deeper self-identity. These, and all interested in Bible and canon, will find out from a luminary how the texts and words in the biblical canon were defined and deemed inspired. How did we get our Bible? This book gives you answers. It is superb for classes. I recommend it enthusiastically. -- J.H. Charlesworth, George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Director of the PTS Dead Sea Scrolls Project, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA. In this 'Guide for the Perplexed', Lee McDonald has unravelled the intricacies of canon research for the scholar, student and interested public. Writing in a bracingly accessible style, McDonald clarifies how the Christian Bible of the Old and New Testaments came to be formed and finally fixed. Including numerous extracts from primary sources, McDonald achieves the near impossible in discussing texts ranging from the Hebrew Bible to patristic literature. -- Timothy H. Lim, University of Edinburgh, UK. Professor Lee McDonald is an expert in the field of the history of the biblical canon. His contribution to the Guides for the Perplexed series is a helpful summary of what can be gathered from the often scattered remarks in the ancient sources. One of the strengths of the book is that it quotes most of the relevant sources at length. The author rightly emphasizes that the ancient data are often open to various interpretations. His own reconstruction of the origin of the Bible is well argued, clear and readable; yet the author honestly warns the reader that there remain open questions, and there are areas in this history where other reconstructions may still be possible. -- Peter Balla, Head of the New Testament Department at the Faculty of Theology, Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church in Hungary.