The Muratorian Fragment and the Development of the Canon: (Oxford Theological Monographs)

The Muratorian Fragment, traditionally dated at the end of the second century, is by far the earliest known list of the books of the New Testament. It is therefore an important milestone in understanding the formation of the Christian canon of scriptures. The traditional date of the fragment, however, was questioned in 1973 by Albert C. Sundberg, Jr, in an article of the Harvard Theological Review that has since been generally ignored or dismissed. In this book, Dr Hahneman examines afresh the traditional dating of the fragment in a complete and extensive study that concurs with Sundberg's findings. Arguing for a later placing of the fragment, he shows that the entire history of the Christian Bible must be recast as a much longer and more gradual process. As a result, the decisive period of canonical history moves from the end of the second century into the midst of the fourth. As a decisive contribution to our understanding of the nature of the New Testament canon, this book will be of considerable importance and interest to New Testament scholars and historians of the early Church alike.

Table of Contents:
The background of the "Muratorian Fragment"; the shepherd of Hermas; the formation of the canon; fourth-century catalogues; peculiarities of the Fragment; redating the Fragment.

Review :
`In this new book, Geoffrey Mark Hahneman challenges the traditional second-century dating of the Muratorian Fragment, presenting a sustained and detailed argument that it was actually written in the fourth century, around 375. His persuasive argument is methodologically sound, and his examination of the relevant evidence is meticulous ... Hahneman's book is a superlative example of scholarly research and writing. Well organized, clearly written and thorough, it deals patiently with all the relevant evidence and converses with a wide range of scholarship ... Hahneman's findings are important to anyone interested in understanding how the New Testament came together.' Bible Review, February 1994 Hahneman corroborates in extensive, detailed and generally convincing fashion the theory of a fourth-century, rather than second-century, origin for the famous list of New Testament writings called the Muratorian fragment,,,Hahneman's treatise can be a valuabe addition to academic and monastic libraries in general `He provides a thorough discussion of the latin text of the fragment and its textual history ... His argument for dating the usual text of the fragment to the third or fourth century is persuasive.' Southwestern Journal of Theology, Vol 36, No 2 (1993) 'the most thorough study of the Muratorian Fragment available ... his book will be the standard point of reference for future studies because of the valuable collection of source material ... We are all indebted to the author for his collection of material and earnest argumentation.' Everett Ferguson, Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, October 1993 'This is an impressive and well-documented Oxford D.Phil thesis ... The thesis is well presented and clearly set out.' J.K. Elliott, Novum Testamentum XXXVI, 3 (1994) `This is an interesting discussion, and it is good to have the question of the canon opened up afresh.' Expository Times `This is an important book, essentially defending the thesis of Sundberg regarding the fourth century and Eastern origins of the Muratorian fragment.' Journal for the Study of the New Testament 57 (1995) `extensive study' Bijdragen, tijdschrift voor filosofie en theologie 56 (1995) nr. 1 `this is an interesting discussion, and it is good to have the question of the canon opened up afresh' Andrew Chester, University of Cambridge, The Expository Times, The Expository Times, May 1995 Volume 106 Number 8