The New Testament canon remains a subject of enduring interest for biblical scholars, historians, and theologians of various backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to questions regarding the origin, formation, and development of the canon, new questions have been raised in recent decades concerning the nature of the canon as well as its hermeneutical significance. This ongoing scholarly interest has prompted a number of studies that explore how and when the New Testament canon originated and its associated theological and hermeneutical implications. The varied approaches make clear that scholarship related to the subject of canon is far from settled. Scholars continue to hold diverse viewpoints on fundamental questions related to the canon’s development, while new questions continue to emerge that challenge conventional thought and open new areas of inquiry.
The many complexities of the subject of canon and the wide range of opinions held by specialists in the field served as a key motivation to produce this volume. We deemed it important to address key issues in a unique format that allows scholars of differing persuasions to articulate their perspectives. With such a diversity of opinion, we found it advantageous to include as many differing perspectives on significant issues as feasible. In the end, this has resulted in a collection of essays that explores topics of abiding relevance in canonical studies while capturing the multiplicity of perspectives in the field today. Unlike most collections of scholarly essays in which each contributor addresses a different subject, we chose to include multiple essays that address each major subject area. Our intention in doing so was to provide readers with a more informed perspective on the differing ways scholars treat foundational issues related to the study of canon. One of the practical results of this endeavour is that the volume became much larger and more complex than we originally envisioned. In the end, twenty-three specialists from unique backgrounds with significant expertise in the study of the New Testament contributed to this work.
The creation of a volume of this type incurs many debts. The first is the debts of the co-editors to each other. The co-editors have previously worked together on a multi-view book that surveys the major positions on the New Testament canon. This current project takes a major step forward in terms of complexity and breadth as it addresses a greater number of topics and includes many more contributors. The production of this work involved initial planning, soliciting individual contributors, monitoring their progress, editing their contributions, assembling the volume, and finally putting the finishing touches on the finished work. We are pleased with the result and appreciate the considerable time and energy that each editor invested in order to see the work to completion.
Whereas it was a pleasure to collaborate on the first volume, we both found our work on this volume even more stimulating and rewarding—not least because it has allowed us the opportunity to delve more deeply and widely into the complexities of the study of canon. Several additional volumes on related topics are currently planned, and we look forward to working together to continue our explorations. We are thankful that we have formed such a conducive relationship in the process.
We also would like to thank the individual contributors to the volume. We must admit that securing a diverse group of qualified contributors who were willing and able to work on this volume posed challenges. We appreciate the perseverance of contributors and are honored to include so many leading scholars in the field. Even though there is diversity of opinion represented throughout the volume, there is widespread understanding and consideration of the opinions of others. We are grateful for the way that the contributors—rather than promoting only a single line of interpretation—charitably and skillfully present a variety of helpful answers and perspectives to vexing questions regarding canon.
Everyone connected to this volume is also indebted to the fine people at Brill Publishing. We wish to thank our acquisitions editor, Alessandra Giliberto, and associate editor, Nitzan Shalev. Alessandra inherited this volume early on in her tenure as acquisitions editor in Biblical Studies, so we hope that it meets her expectations and helps to launch her tenure in her new role at Brill. We also thank Nitzan for attending to the technical details of seeing the volume through the press. We would also be remiss if we did not mention—and thank—our two anonymous reviewers, who provided both positive comments and helpful suggestions that have enabled this to become a better volume, for the time that they spent reading and responding to it.
We speak for all the contributors in expressing our gratitude to the many important people in our lives who enable us to engage in and support our scholarly activities, as well as to our academic institutions that do the same.
Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird Editors