An old theology professor of mine used to talk about the "canon within the Canon"--those books we prefer implicitly over others in the Bible. Anyone out there have a "canon without the canon"--books they un-prefer over others? And willing to say what it is in comments?
Mine's Romans. Could also be said to be certain OT books, but that's mostly for lack of having read the OT all the way through in a comprehending fashion.
7 comments:
there are some books I prefer to read over others...such as I tend to avoid The book of Revelation, but overall the bible is the bible and the entirety of it is good for teaching us more how to glorify God.
Why Romans, Dan?
Sorry dude. I'm single canon fodder.
I don't think anyone intentionally prioritizes certain books over others...I think the issue is more about what books don't always jive as well with our theological views. Somewhere between culture, and Paul's leanings, Romans is often thought of as being a "Calvinist" book--hence my issue there, which isn't mean to devalue it in any way. But if someone's proof-texting me, especially in favor of a Calvinist position, Romans isn't the book I'm going to trust the most.
Thanks for the reply, Dan.
I'd never thought of Romans as particularly Calvinist. I guess Romans 8 has some good Calvinist fodder.
I never thought of Romans as particularly Calvinist. Maybe that because John Wesley quotes Romans all the time. I certainly see stuff in Romans 8 that predestinarians would grab on to.
The big mention of it in ch. 8 strikes me as more Molinus-Molinist or Wesleyan-Arminian (that is, conditional election based on foreknowledge of the choice an individual will make.) I'm always more scared of 9 which seems to be the 'proof-text' for unconditional election to me. For me the canon without the canon doesn't mean Scripture I hate, it means Scripture that my theological 'opponents' are most likely to use against me, rightly or wrongly. (And actually, as a Catholic, if I understand correctly, I'm allowed to believe in unconditional election; where exactly Calvinism goes heretical in the Catholic eye is more technical than on that point.)
Apologies if comments are getting moderated late. I'm working now (yay!) but at that workplace, I can't moderate comments (not so yay!) and so I sometimes am going to read through them and think I've moderated them, but they won't be added. :(
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