Torah and Canon

by James A. Sanders

The following is an essay in the origin and function of canon; it is, in effect, an invitation to formulate a sub-discipline of Bible study which [the author thinks] should be called canonical criticism. Canonical criticism cannot begin where most discussions of canon in the handbooks begin. The question of the "structure" of canon can only follow upon the question of the "function" of canon. The question of what is in (canon) and what is out (apocrypha) can only follow upon the question of the origins and function of canon. Tradition criticism, redaction criticism, canonical criticism, and comparative midrash must operate together in dialogue and must operate in that order of priority. What follows is not so much an exercise in canonical criticism, as it is a call for synagogue, church, and academy to recognize the discipline and engage in it. The starting point is Torah. [From the Author's Introduction]

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1972

Reviews

[James Prothero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm taking a class from this excellent scholar and this is a wonderful read in the subject.

[Charles Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book. It is amazing. If you read it, make sure you read this, the second edition. I read it for an online course from a seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific. In that course, I discovered an interest I didn't know that I had. From Textual Criticism in the 1800's to the archaeology in the Twentieth Century, scholars have a view of the Bible that we lay people don't. I find it all fascinating, but then, everyone has different interests. If you think the Bible is important, this is the kind of scholarship you should be looking at. Sanders looks at the Hebrew Bible in this book- the Christian New Testament is not his field.
I found all of this interesting. It's very well documented and not too hard to follow for an amateur like me. It's engaging without being too casual. I look at the Bible and Judaism and Christianity a bit differently after this book. The story is longer and more involved and more engaged in history than I thought. Read this with a good translation of the Hebrew Bible at hand.