SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION

Creating the Canon: Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament

by Benjamin P. Laird
IVP Academic. Jul. 2023. 264p. ISBN 9781514001103. pap. $30. REL
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This book by Laird (biblical studies, Liberty Univ.; The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity) addresses common questions about the history and authority of the New Testament. While there already are books available that discuss the formation of the New Testament, this book focuses on key elements to inform readers of such things as the explanation that the creation and dissemination of one of Paul’s letters was much more a community effort than one might think. The book describes original autographs (or editions), early canonical lists, Greek manuscripts, and sub-collections, including the four gospels, the Pauline letters, and more. It also examines the process of affirming the New Testament’s 27 books and the different ways scholars have understood this specific part of the Bible to be uniquely authoritative.
VERDICT Readers of the New Testament will find this book to be both intriguing and informative.
Reviewed by John Jaeger , Jun 01, 2023
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