The Sacred Text

The Sacred Text presents an overview of the formation, reception, and interpretation of the Christian Scriptures. It is written by contributors from diverse Christian traditions and covers an array of topics about historical and doctrinal matters pertaining to Scripture. The first section on “The History of the Texts” deals with the formation of the Christian canon, including the status of the Septuagint, the concept of Scripture in the second century, the role of tradition in creating and interpreting these ancient texts, and issues about canon and authority. The second section, “The Interpretation of the Texts,” looks at hermeneutical issues such the origins of modern biblical criticism, the current interest in theological exegesis, post-modern approaches to Scripture, and new methodologies relating to biblical interpretation such as feminist and post-colonial approaches. The final section on “The Theological Status of the Texts as Scripture” deals with how the texts are regarded as Scripture in various faith communities, including those of Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical traditions, and also by twentieth century theologians such as Karl Barth and Rudolf Bultmann. The Sacred Text is a solid introduction to questions of how the Scriptures came to be, how they should be read, and what they mean to different Christian communities.