Day 17: The Canon of Scripture

It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New... The fourfold Gospel holds a unique place in the Church, as is evident both in the veneration which the liturgy accords it and in the surpassing attraction it has exercised on the saints at all times. CCC 120 & 127

Today's reading is about the recognized, divinely inspired books comprising the Canon of Scripture. The Church proclaims that the books of the Old Testament are an "indispensable part of Sacred Scripture" contra Marcion, who wrongly sought "under the pretext that the New has rendered it void" to cast them out of the Canon. We see the New in the Old Testament, which "prepare[d] for and declare[d] in prophecy the coming of Christ, redeemer of all men". Chief of all these books are the Gospels, which "are the heart of all the Scriptures 'because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour'". The Catechism in CCC 120 also gives us a list of all the books of the Canon.

I could spend hours talking about the Canon of Scripture, especially its complex formation history. For whatever reason, this has fascinated me for years. I would totally geek out discussing this ad nauseum with modern folks like Gary Michuta, William Albrecht, Fr. Kappes, Lee Martin McDonald, David A. DeSilva, John Bergsma, Brant Pitre, and many, many others whose works I've enjoyed over the years. Alas, such is not really possible. So instead, I'll point interested readers to some of the sources I've found most helpful in exploring this complex but fascinating topic: Holy Scripture & Sacred Tradition.

It would have been nice to have more in today's reading, but of course, I'd say that given my odd obsession with the Canon. Besides, there is only so much one could put in the Catechism on all the topics so it would fit into one book. That's what additional books are for! That's Day 17.