Subject: Byzantine canon

From: "Harold P. Scanlin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 09:00:33 -0500

In addition to the helpful bibliographic references mentioned by Adair and
others, the three volume set edited and translated by William A. Jurgens,
-_The Faith of the Early Fathers_ (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1970
- 1979), is very helpful.  You may also be interested in my article in the
Meyendorff memorial volume, "The Old Testament Canon in the Orthodox
Churches,"  in _New perspectives on historical theology_  (Eerdmans, 1996),
pp. 300 - 312.  It is important to keep in mind that the Orthodox Churches
are autocephalous, that is, each "national" Orthodox church decides for
itself its own canon, not only in the number of books but in the definition
of "canon."  There is, on the other hand, an Orthodox approach to the
entire topic, even though specifics may vary.

I think the willingness to include the works associated with Jeremiah and
Daniel, even in earlier canon lists which are quite close to the Hebrew
canon, reflects an attitude towards "canon" that focuses on inspired
writers rather than on inspired books/editions of books.  In a way, it's
"the exception that proves the rule" that in the earlier period there was a
decided preference for the Hebrew canon in the East.

Harold P. Scanlin
United Bible Societies