Why Did It Take so Long to Create the Canon of Scripture? - CHS 168

A common objection to the validity of Christian truth claims is that it took a rather long time to create the canon of Scripture (i.e., the authoritative list of books to be read in the Churches).

 

In this episode, we briefly review the practical and unseen factors that were behind the creation of this authoritative list. We discuss such basic aspects as the price of manuscripts, the difficulty of obtaining writing materials and the need for intra-church communication—factors that are often left unconsidered by those who quickly dismiss Christian truth claims because it took the Church a long time to create this list.

 

Early Christian communities faced many challenges beyond the task of determining which books ought to be included in its authoritative list. From answering claims about the Church’s relationship to Judaism in the Church’s conflict with Marcionism to defining the Church’s relationship to the state, early Christian leaders had to figure out answers to these questions in ways that would satisfy their audiences. In the midst of these pressing concerns, the resolution of the canon had to wait.

 

In addition to these pressing tasks, to name just a few, resolving the question of the canon of Scripture was an enormous undertaking. The task involved nothing short of creating an authoritative list from dozens of books written over hundreds of years in different languages. The leaders of the Church had to evaluate the contents of these documents, the contents of which have continued to exercise the minds of scholars to this day.

 

Join us this week as we review some of the major challenges that faced the church in compiling this list that we now call the canon of Scripture. To access the show, navigate to your podcast player of choice or download our free app on the iOS or Android stores.

 

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The Catholic Heritage is devoted to helping Catholic Christians better understand the history, teachings and culture of their Catholic faith so that they can better love and serve Christ, the Church and their neighbors. Dr. Erik Estrada is a Catholic scholar who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and specializes in the history of Christianity and historical theology. He also completed a licentiate (S.T.L) in theology and patristic science at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute in Rome and a S.T.B. at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

If you would like to provide feedback to the show, of if you have any inquiries, you can contact him at [e-mail].

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