Before There Was a Bible

Authorities in Early Christianity

Reverend Doctor Lee Martin McDonald (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

264 Seiten

2023
T.& T.Clark Ltd (Verlag)
978-0-567-70578-5 (ISBN)

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How did authority function before the bible as we know it emerged? Lee Martin McDonald examines the authorities that existed from the Church’s beginning: the appeal to the texts containing the words of Jesus, and that would become the New Testament, the not yet finalized Hebrew Scriptures (referred to mostly in Greek) and the apostolic leadership of the churches.

McDonald traces several sacred core traditions that broadly identified the essence of Christianity before there was a bible summarized in early creeds, hymns and spiritual songs, baptismal and Eucharistic affirmations, and in lectionaries and catalogues from the fourth century and following. McDonald shows how those traditions were included in the early Christian writings later recognized as the New Testament. He also shows how Christians were never fully agreed on the scope of their Old Testament canon (Hebrew scriptures) and that it took centuries before there was universal acceptance of all of the books now included in the Christian bible. Further, McDonald shows that whilst writings such as the canonical gospels were read as authoritative texts likely from their beginning, they were not yet called or cited as scripture. What was cited in an authoritative manner were the words of Jesus in those texts, alongside the multiple affirmations and creeds that were circulated in the early Church and formed its key authorities and core sacred traditions.

Lee Martin McDonald is President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University, Canada. He is also President of the Institute for Biblical Research.

Introduction
1. Judaism and Early Christianity
2. Primary Authorities in Early Christianity
3. Other Essential Authorities: Tradition, Creeds, Hymns
4. Major Challenges for the Early Christians: Persecution and Heresy
5. The Church’s Scriptures and Biblical Canons
6. The Biblical Manuscripts and their Texts
7. Additional Ancient Artifacts: The Codex, Nomina Sacra, Translations, Councils
8. Early Christianity and the Apocryphal and Pseudonymous Writings
9. Summary and Conclusion
Bibliography
Indexes

Erscheinungsdatum	13.02.2023
Verlagsort	Edinburgh
Sprache	englisch
Maße	169 x 244 mm
Themenwelt	Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Religionsgeschichte
	Religion / Theologie ► Christentum ► Bibelausgaben / Bibelkommentare
	Religion / Theologie ► Christentum ► Kirchengeschichte
ISBN-10	0-567-70578-1 / 0567705781
ISBN-13	978-0-567-70578-5 / 9780567705785
Zustand	Neuware