The New Testament Canon: Its Making and Meaning

by Harry Y. Gamble

1985 FORTRESS PRESS SOFTCOVER

Genres: Biblical Studies, Christianity, Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Church History, History

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 1985

Reviews

[Mike Gregory]

Excellent review of the history behind the development of the New Testament and the factors behind the inclusion of 27 writings which made the cut. It does mention the apocryphal writings, as well as other scriptures.

[Eugene]

An interesting overview of scholarship on the creation of the NT canon.

[Meredith Curtis]

A bit dry for the layman like me, but not bad for an academic overview of the NT.

[Sanjuro]

Harry Gamble has built quite a bit of equity through just three published books. All three are classics of their field. I have read all three, and was thoroughly engaged by each of them. This little book on the canon is, in my view, by far the most flawed of the three. There is much to disagree with here, both historically and theologically, but the book is excellent as an introduction to the major concerns of the canon debate, and a must read for anyone looking to cover all bases of the conversation.

[Alex Decker]

I enjoyed this book immensely, it was a no nonsense way of viewing canonical and non canonical documents. The ease in which a person could dissect them is juxaposed by the fact it can also be deeply academic. Very good choice if you are looking to spread your wings and really learn about the New Testament and not just leave it up to people who had different motives in which books they chose and didn't chose.

[C.J.]

A great introductory book to the topic of the formation of the NT canon and the major debates surrounding its development. The final chapter, "The Interpretation of the New Testament as Canon", was particularly interesting and provocative.

[Jason Gardner]

This is a concise, yet thorough discussion of the events and forces that led to the formation of the NT canon. Very readable, though you'll have to go elsewhere for in-depth discussions of the many issues Gamble introduces.

[John Betts]

Gamble presents an extraordinary evaluation of the "problem of the New Testament canon", tracing the historical, literary, and theological questions involved and formation of the canon.