Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 61:3 (Sep 2018)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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JETS 61:3 (September 2018) p. 617

Book Reviews

The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis. By Edmon L. Gallagher and John D. Meade. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017, xxii + 337 pp., $45.00.

Scholarly interest in the canonical history of the Bible has increased noticeably during the last quarter century, a development evidenced by the recent publication of several monographs and scholarly articles that address various aspects of the formation and early circulation of the biblical writings. Few published works, however, are designed to serve as a resource for those engaged in the study of the primary sources. Fortunately, Edmon Gallagher and John Meade have collaborated to produce The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis, a resource designed to “present the evidence of the early Christian canon lists in an accessible form for the benefit of students and scholars” (p. xii). While the extant canonical lists are certainly not the only significant witnesses to the formation of the biblical canon, they are of unique importance. As Gallagher and Meade observe, “The canon lists do not answer all of our questions about which religious books early Christians considered important and worthy of reading, or how and why the biblical canon developed the way it did. But the lists are the best sources for telling us specifically which books early Christians considered canonical” (p. xviii).

The first chapter provides an overview of the canonical development of both the OT and NT canons. Those with a more limited background in the field of canonical studies will find this chapter to be especially helpful. It would also make for excellent supplemental reading in graduate-level NT introduction courses. With respect to the OT canon, the authors examine the earliest possible evidence for the tripartite arrangement of the Hebrew Bible (e.g. the works of Josephus and the prologue to Sirach), the probable extent of the Hebrew Bible during various stages of its history, the manner in which the writings may have been divided and arranged, and evidence that the core books of the Hebrew Bible were regarded as authoritative. Based on their survey of a variety of witnesses, the authors observe, “In this period before lists, we can still be confident about the reception of the core books—the Torah, the Prophets, the Psalter—but the books at the fringe of the canon remain in uncertain territory” (p. 25).

In their discussion of the development of the NT canon, the authors conclude that prior to the well-known 39^th Festal Letter of Athanasius (c. AD 367), “All of the lists include the four Gospels, Acts, and at least thirteen Pauline letters, along with some Catholic Epistles and other books” (p. 32). In other words, the foundationa...

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