2024.05.04 | W. Edward Glenny and Darian R. Lockett, eds. Canon Formation: Tracing the Role of Sub-Collections in the Biblical Canon. London: T & T Clark, 2023.

Review by Levi Baker, William Tennent School of Theology.

Over the past two decades there has been increasing interest in the sub-collections that comprise the Jewish and Christian biblical canons. Yet these technical studies often feel like insider conversations and remain largely inaccessible to broader biblical scholarship. A single-volume work addressing the sub-collections across the Christian Bible has been sorely needed.

In many ways the juxtaposition of the Foreword and Introduction highlights the need for this volume and the ongoing debate over extrinsic and intrinsic approaches to the canon. In his foreword, Lee Martin McDonald acknowledges that sub-collections have not yet “received adequate attention” (p. viii) and celebrates this volume’s significance. He also notes his disagreement with Brevard Child’s (intrinsic) approach and concludes with open questions regarding the canon’s development. However, many of these questions are framed from an extrinsic model of canon and a definition of canon as “list.”

After this, the editors introduce the volume, naming the collection into sub-units a “crucial step in the process of canonization of the biblical texts” (p. 1). Not only did most books enter the canon as “part of a collection,” but also this collecting process reveals the intrinsic nature of the canonization process (p. 1). As the editors state, “The authoritative force that led to the formation of the Old and New Testaments was present at earlier stages in the process. Therefore, canonization was not a top-down judgment (stemming from a later reception, recognition, or declaration), but rather a judgment at work in the canonical process itself” (p. 1). As the first volume to discuss each sub-collection, this book aims to fill a lacuna and to offer a “state-of-the-question discussion” on the biblical sub-collections that addresses their formation and significance as well as their “theological significance” for the broader canon (p. 2). 

The present volume consists of four main parts, focusing, respectively, on (1) the whole Bible and OT and NT as “Canonical Units,” (2) OT “Canonical Sub-Units,” (3) NT “Canonical Sub-Units,” and (4) the “Hermeneutical Considerations of the Canon.”

In the first of sixteen essays, Tomas Bokedal describes the early church’s concern for “textual comprehensiveness” for their scriptures (p. 9) and early Christian appeals to “symbolic” or “fullness” numbers (pp. 12, 29), such as four, seven, twenty-two, and twenty-four for the “delimitation” of canonical sub-units and the entire canon (p. 12). He hypothesizes that some of the word frequencies of the nomina sacra “were deliberately shaped” at the compositional or editorial level for the “textual sub-units” (p. 23). 

The next two chapters offer overviews of the canonical shape of the Hebrew Bible (HB) and Greek OT. Stephen Dempster outlines early evidence for the HB tripartite structure and the order and “hermeneutical function” of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings (p. 40). After summarizing theories regarding the canonical process, he argues that it was guided by a “canonical consciousness” observable within the texts themselves (p. 44). Next, John Meade aims to “trace the historical development of the canonical shape of the Greek OT through analysis of its early contents and arrangements” (p. 53). He discusses nineteen valuable canon lists from AD 100–850. These lists reveal an early (2^nd century) Christian acceptance of the limited Jewish canon (p. 64). Furthermore, when they discuss organization, they divide the OT into “History-Poetry-Prophecy” or “Law-Writings-Poetry-Prophecy” (p. 74), arrangements that early Christians likely received from Jewish communities (p. 76). Finally, Matthew Emerson surveys approaches to the NT’s canonical shape and offers guiding questions for further research. 

Stephen Chapman’s essay “The Pentateuch as Canon” begins the second section. After contrasting “latitudinal” (source-critical) and “longitudinal” (form-critical) approaches to the Pentateuch’s formation (pp. 101–2), he argues that a theology of the Pentateuch must begin with “the received literary shape,” an approach that is “actually more historical” (p. 105, emphasis original). This shape contains “cross references” at the beginning of each book that prove the book divisions predate the final redaction (p. 107) and provides evidence of a multidirectional “hermeneutical flow” between the Torah, Prophets, and Writings (p. 112). 

Next, Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford overviews the Psalter’s origins and authorship as well as critical approaches to this collection and discusses features of the Psalter’s shape, “story,” and canonization (pp. 126-133). Then, Craig Bartholomew considers the canonical function of the OT wisdom collection. Bartholomew focuses on canon as “authority” and offers a theological reading of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes and the “interrelationship” (p. 144) among these books and between wisdom texts and the rest of the OT. Employing a canonical approach, Timothy Stone surveys the “macrostructure” of the next sub-collection within the Writings: the Megilloth. He posits a chiastic “spiderweb” structure with Ecclesiastes at the center, bounded by the two “contrasting pairs” of Song of Songs and Lamentation and then Ruth and Esther (p. 160), an arrangement highlighting the collection’s diversity. Furthermore, since each of these books shares stronger links with rest of the Writings, he asserts that they should not be studied in “isolation,” and the books in the Writings likely “were compiled in the same process” together (p. 165). 

Next, Christopher Seitz surveys the content and canonical function of the Prophets. He explains the origination of the division between Former and Latter Prophets (p. 168), the effect of this sequencing, and the nature of the Three (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and the Twelve (Minor Prophets). The final two essays for part two consider the Book of the Twelve. Don Collett’s essay “Prophetic Intentionality in the Twelve” advocates a canonical approach to reading the Twelve that reads these works as “books and Book” (p. 184). This approach appreciates both the unity of the Twelve and that later editors sought to “extend the original text’s authority to future generations” (p. 192). Such an approach allows the received form to be the “final arbiter” for deciding each perspective’s meaning, function, and contribution to the Twelve (p. 194). Finally, W. Edward Glenny discusses the Twelve in the Septuagint, including its textual history, unity, “literary coherence,” and theological themes (p. 213). 

Gregory Lanier begins part three by briefly surveying the state of research and overviewing eight features of the Fourfold Gospel collection’s development. The cumulative evidence indicates “an early privileging of the four Gospels in distinction from non-canonical peers at essentially every point” (p. 245). Next, Darian Lockett explores the “Corpus Apostolicum,” considering evidence from patristic writings, early canon lists, and the manuscript tradition for the establishment of the Catholic Epistles (CE) and the association of Acts and the CE. He concludes by considering this sub-collection’s canonical locations and functions.

Then, E. Randolph Richards summarizes evidence related to the Pauline letter collection from ancient lists, early writers, and the manuscript tradition. The manuscript evidence reveals the early association of Hebrews and rather fixed sequence for the other thirteen letters as well as the publication of Paul’s letters as a collection from the beginning (pp. 280, 284). Next, Külli Tõniste closes the NT section by considering how and why Revelation was included in the canon and its contribution to the entire canon. (p. 289). In the final section, Ched Spellman offers reflections on the relationship of sub-collections to the hermeneutical process. 

Any collection of essays faces the challenge of cohesion. However, this volume achieves its goals. In each essay readers encounter a helpful overview of the sub-collection, research on this canonical unit, and an explanation of its significance within the whole canon. Three key strengths support this success. First, this volume displays extensive research and enables further research. Each essay is written by a recognized expert in that sub-collection, and often a leader in canon studies. Furthermore, a bibliography presenting recent research concludes each essay. Second, the volume is highly readable. The essays are approximately twenty pages each and employ useful headings and charts. Lanier’s eleven charts and multifaceted comparison of the canonical and non-canonical gospels are incredibly valuable. Additionally, the contributors maintain a charitable tone and treat opposing views fairly. Third, the volume rightfully considers the Greek OT canon.

 However, this volume has two oversights. First, a few essays focus almost exclusively on a sub-collection’s canonical function, offering little discussion of the historical questions surrounding its initial formation. Second, although the volume offers essays on the entire collections of the Torah and Prophets, it lacks an essay on the Writings collection as a whole. This omission is unfortunate as this section of the HB has the greatest literary diversity and questions surrounding its canonization. Furthermore, the essays that address the sub-collections within the Writings offer little consideration of the process of canonization. 

Despite these oversights, Canon Formation should increase awareness of the role of sub-collections more than any prior work. It will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in OT or NT canon formation. Furthermore, its multifaceted overview of each sub-collection means Canon Formation would make an excellent supplemental textbook for OT and NT introduction courses.

Levi Baker
William Tennent School of Theology
lbaker [at] sebts.edu