The Making of the New Testament

A scholarly survey tracing how the Christian New Testament took shape, analyzing ideas of inspiration and the process of canonization, responses to critical scholarship, the development and character of Pauline literature and other apostolic and pseudo-apostolic letters, the distinct traditions behind the synoptic and Johannine Gospels, and the emergence of theological synthesis that secured a corpus of writings. It discusses missionary contexts, doctrinal disputes, literary forms, and the roles of teacher, prophet, and theologian in shaping texts, and concludes with reflections on critical methods and a bibliography for further study.