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Q.
Why haven’t any new books been added?
Gary Peluso-Verdend
Who is...
?
Gary Peluso-Verdend
I was a very clean child.A.
The early years of any religious movement are fl uid. Over time,
movements gel into institutions—or the movements and their pur-
poses cease. The early gelling of Christianity included separating
from Judaism (Christianity began as a Jewish reform movement) and distin-
guishing “orthodox” Christianity (right belief and practice) from heterodoxy
or heresy. What became orthodox Christianity might also be understood as the
victor in the battle against Montanists and Gnostics, to name two of the most
prominent heterodox groups.
In the gelling process, the church developed creeds and a canon of scrip-
ture. Creeds, such as the Nicene, became a powerful measure of who was a
heretic. The word “canon” means “measure” or “rule.” Settling on a canon
of scripture was one way the churches’ teaching authorities tried to defi ne
authentic Christian belief and practice.
In modern times, scholars have subjected all truth claims to histori-
cal tests, including the claims of those who believed God led them to accept
books as canonical. Even before the modern period, however, notable theolo-
gians disputed which books should be included in the canon. Martin Luther
famously wrote that James is an epistle “stuffed with straw,” and he did not
believe that Revelation preached Christ.
I do not think the canon will ever be reopened. Once closed, a canon
accumulates a history of usage that makes it more diffi cult than at the outset
of the canon to add or delete a text. Also, in our present age, it is impossible
to imagine an agreed-upon process, with agreed-upon representatives autho-
rized to choose another writing that would be affi rmed by all as word of God,
report of the word of God, or refl ection of the Word of God.
I cannot imagine such an effort producing anything other than headlines
and grief.