The Bible, the Church, and Authority: The Canon of the Christian Bible in History and Theology

Since the early days of Christianity a tension has existed between the authority of the Bible and the authority of the Church. This has been further heightened by the question of Bible translation: How does the Word stand firm and yet continue to speak to a changing Church?

Joseph Lienhard, a specialist in Early Christianity, examines the evolution of the Christian canon by casting this question against the life of the early Christians. Among the topics treated are the Christian use of Jewis...