The Heresy of Orthodoxy

by Kostenberger, Andreas J.

• ISBN13: 9781433501432
• ISBN10: 1433501430
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-09
• Publisher: Crossway Books

Summary

Evaluating historical evidence, this book defends earlyChristian orthodoxy from the legacy of New Testament criticism: themodern "orthodoxy of diversity." Beginning with Walter Bauer in 1934, thedenial of clear orthodoxy in early Christianity has shaped andlargely defined modern New Testament criticism, recently given newlife through the work of spokesmen like Bart Ehrman. Spreading fromacademia into mainstream media, the suggestion that diversity ofdoctrine in the early church led to many competing orthodoxies isindicative of today's postmodern relativism. AuthorsKouml;stenberger and Kruger engage Ehrman and others in thispolemic against a dogged adherence to popular ideals ofdiversity. Kouml;stenberger and Kruger's accessible andcareful scholarship not only counters the "Bauer Thesis" using itsown terms, but also engages overlooked evidence from the NewTestament. Their conclusions are drawn from analysis of theevidence of unity in the New Testament, the formation and closingof the canon, and the methodology and integrity of the recordingand distribution of religious texts within the early church.

Author Biography

Andreas J. Kstenberger (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a prolific author. Michael J. Kruger (PhD, University of Edinburgh), associate professor of New Testament and academic dean at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte, NC), is the author of a number of articles and books on early Christianity.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 11
List of Abbreviations	p. 13
Introduction: The Contemporary Battle to Recast the Origins of the New Testament and Early Christianity	p. 15
The Heresy of Orthodoxy: Pluralism and the Origins of the New Testament
The Bauer-Ehrman Thesis: Its Origins and Influence	p. 23
Unity and Plurality: How Diverse Was Early Christianity?	p. 41
Heresy in the New Testament: How Early Was It?	p. 69
Picking the Books: Tracing the Development of the New Testament Canon
Starting in the Right Place: The Meaning of Canon in Early Christianity	p. 105
Interpreting the Historical Evidence: The Emerging Canon in Early Christianity	p. 125
Establishing the Boundaries: Apocryphal Books and the Limits of the Canon	p. 151
Changing the Story: Manuscripts, Scribes, and Textual Transmission
Keepers of the Text: How Were Texts Copied and Circulated in the Ancient World?	p. 179
Tampering with the Text: Was the New Testament Text Changed Along the Way?	p. 203
Concluding Appeal: The Heresy of Orthodoxy in a Topsy-turvy World	p. 233
General Index	p. 237
Scripture Index	p. 247
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