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Formation of the Bible: The Story of the Church's Canon
Well-known for his scholarly works on the formation of the biblical canon, Lee McDonald has written a carefully researched and reasoned explanation on the history of the formation of the Bible expressly for the interested pastor and curious layman.
Combining a lifelong commitment to the Scriptures, both as a pastor and as a scholar, McDonald approaches his task with sensitivity to the importance of these sacred texts as well as with the thoughtful practice of a person steeped in the process by which these texts were brought together to form the Bible as the church knows it now. From the collection (and translations) of the Hebrew Scriptures through the collection of the New Testament Scriptures, and finally the process of settling on the final forms for these collections, McDonald leads his reader right up to the present moment.
Combining a lifelong commitment to the Scriptures, both as a pastor and as a scholar, McDonald approaches his task with sensitivity to the importance of these sacred texts as well as with the thoughtful practice of a person steeped in the process by which these texts were brought together to form the Bible as the church knows it now. From the collection (and translations) of the Hebrew Scriptures through the collection of the New Testament Scriptures, and finally the process of settling on the final forms for these collections, McDonald leads his reader right up to the present moment.
- GenresReligion
178 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2012
4 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Lee Martin McDonald
26 books18 followersLee Martin McDonald (PhD, University of Edinburgh), before his retirement, was professor of New Testament studies and president of Acadia Divinity College. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including The Biblical Canon, and coeditor of The Canon Debate (with James Sanders), and The World of the New Testament (with Joel Green). He lives in Mesa, Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 19, 2022
This was a solid resource on the formation of the Bible. It's probably a little too academic for an absolute beginner to the world of Biblical scholarship, but an informed layperson with a comfortable understanding of the Bible could definitely read it.
I can't speak to exactly how updated it is, being that the book is about 10 years old at my reading in 2022, but it covers the basics. For my purposes (a resource book for a parish education class on the origins of the Biblical canon), it works well enough. Seeing as I was most interested in finding a resource that would cover early canonical discussion (i.e. Pre-Reformation), I'm not sure a newer text would be all that more helpful.
Likewise, I appreciate that the author mostly sticks to history. He doesn't do a whole lot of theologizing, and when he does, it's not *too* preachy or biased. I will say this is what makes me give it four stars, because I do think that the moments where he does start to get preacher-like about how to read the canon or what should be considered definitive scripture for Christians are underdeveloped and shallow. As that was not the point of the book, it would best be left out.
All in all, this book is definitely something I would feel comfortable recommending to my adult parishioners, who tend to call themselves Bible rookies but actually have a solid understanding of the Bible and Christian tradition.
I can't speak to exactly how updated it is, being that the book is about 10 years old at my reading in 2022, but it covers the basics. For my purposes (a resource book for a parish education class on the origins of the Biblical canon), it works well enough. Seeing as I was most interested in finding a resource that would cover early canonical discussion (i.e. Pre-Reformation), I'm not sure a newer text would be all that more helpful.
Likewise, I appreciate that the author mostly sticks to history. He doesn't do a whole lot of theologizing, and when he does, it's not *too* preachy or biased. I will say this is what makes me give it four stars, because I do think that the moments where he does start to get preacher-like about how to read the canon or what should be considered definitive scripture for Christians are underdeveloped and shallow. As that was not the point of the book, it would best be left out.
All in all, this book is definitely something I would feel comfortable recommending to my adult parishioners, who tend to call themselves Bible rookies but actually have a solid understanding of the Bible and Christian tradition.
July 19, 2022
If you're interested in a purely academic look into the historic development of different scriptures in Judaism, Christendom, and its various offshoots, you'll enjoy this book.
If you believe that there is value in applying books heretical to the Christian faith to your daily lives, or you feel like biblical authority should take a backseat to culture as it changes through time, you'll enjoy this book.
If you're trying to answer questions like "which books were divinely inspired?" or "how did the Reformers select the books in the Protestant Bible?" or "does the canon of scripture matter?" then you will be left disappointed, frustrated, and potentially confused.
I respect the author's extensive work in compiling this research, but do not appreciate his answering questions with more questions and dodging a clear stance on things. "Does the Canon of scripture matter?" McDonald asks. He answers: "maybe."
If you believe that there is value in applying books heretical to the Christian faith to your daily lives, or you feel like biblical authority should take a backseat to culture as it changes through time, you'll enjoy this book.
If you're trying to answer questions like "which books were divinely inspired?" or "how did the Reformers select the books in the Protestant Bible?" or "does the canon of scripture matter?" then you will be left disappointed, frustrated, and potentially confused.
I respect the author's extensive work in compiling this research, but do not appreciate his answering questions with more questions and dodging a clear stance on things. "Does the Canon of scripture matter?" McDonald asks. He answers: "maybe."
July 4, 2025
Found this to be very accessible and short. John Barton, A History of the Bible is also good but longer
May 7, 2014
In light of the barrage of attacking media on the Bible these days, canonicity is suddenly a hot topic. Sadly, most Christians do not really know how to discuss the topic of how our canon of Scripture came about, or more importantly, how it can be trusted. So we need volumes to educate us such as we have in this volume published by Hendrickson.
We have to either remove the rustiness that has developed or come up to speed as the world is asking the tough questions. The book can distinctly help us. This subject is complex and so subject to easy potshots! You will need a basic knowledge if, say, someone starts reading Bart Ehrman and says your Bible is hopelessly an untrustworthy text of antiquity and dares you to answer. Mr. McDonald is a scholar who gives us an introduction, a starting place, that assumes we may not the story of the our canon.
Though it comes as a surprise to some there were pseudepigraphal and apocryphal books that rose up to compete with the cannon that became what we know as authoritative Scripture just as the critics say. What is not true is the level of acceptance. This volume weaves through how that worked out.
The key value in this book is the way unfamiliar things are defined and explained. Both in the text and in an outstanding glossary of terms one can learn the language of canonicity. He gives full charts on all the books that you may hear of as “lost” too.
I do not reach every conclusion he does, but my only real fault with this book is that it does not hold up as a work of apologetics nearly as well as it as simply an educational one. On occasions he raised more questions than he answered, or at least answered powerfully. I believe an even stronger case can be made. Still, this book will be handy to have on the shelf.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
We have to either remove the rustiness that has developed or come up to speed as the world is asking the tough questions. The book can distinctly help us. This subject is complex and so subject to easy potshots! You will need a basic knowledge if, say, someone starts reading Bart Ehrman and says your Bible is hopelessly an untrustworthy text of antiquity and dares you to answer. Mr. McDonald is a scholar who gives us an introduction, a starting place, that assumes we may not the story of the our canon.
Though it comes as a surprise to some there were pseudepigraphal and apocryphal books that rose up to compete with the cannon that became what we know as authoritative Scripture just as the critics say. What is not true is the level of acceptance. This volume weaves through how that worked out.
The key value in this book is the way unfamiliar things are defined and explained. Both in the text and in an outstanding glossary of terms one can learn the language of canonicity. He gives full charts on all the books that you may hear of as “lost” too.
I do not reach every conclusion he does, but my only real fault with this book is that it does not hold up as a work of apologetics nearly as well as it as simply an educational one. On occasions he raised more questions than he answered, or at least answered powerfully. I believe an even stronger case can be made. Still, this book will be handy to have on the shelf.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
February 12, 2015
This book is really good. It lays out, in a comprehensive way, how our modern Protestant Bible has come into existence. An excellent read for anyone who is curious how that process went down desires to know more about Bible formation. Just remember, as Laura Roberts puts it, "Jesus is the canon!"
November 9, 2012
McDonald has written about canon formation before, but for an academic audience. This is a popular-level introduction to how the Bible came to be that doesn't oversimplify.
June 24, 2013
Shorter version of The Biblical Canon for a general audience
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews