Despite the profound influence of the New Testament, a variety of questions related to its background and history remain common. Contemporary readers often find the subject of the canon's origin and formation to be complicated and confusing, while scholars continue to struggle to find agreement about basic elements of the canon's development. In this engaging study, Benjamin P. Laird explores several misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked topics in order to provide fresh insight and clarity about the canon's creation and modern relevance. The volume addresses questions such as:
• Was there a single "original autograph" of each New Testament writing?
• Who exactly were the "original readers" of the New Testament writings?
• Did theological controversies play a decisive role in prompting the canon's formation?
• How did such a diverse body of writings come together to form a single canonical collection?
• Is there a basis for the canon's ongoing authority?
Wide-ranging yet accessible, Creating the Canon offers an illuminating treatment of the composition, formation, and authority of the New Testament and serves as a valuable guide to those with limited prior study.
"For those who wrestle with the nature and significance of the scriptural canon in modern Christianity and wonder about its ancient origins, Benjamin Laird's book cuts a lucid and engaging path through many aspects of the canon's composition, formation, and authority. Laird writes both as a historian and as a Christian, combining critical attention to sources and hermeneutics with a personal sense of the importance of these questions today."
