By an act of faith the Christian reader today may identify…
““By an act of faith the Christian reader today may identify the New Testament, as it has been received, with the entire ‘tradition of Christ’. But confidence in such an act of faith will be strengthened if the same faith proves to have been exercised by Christians in other places and at other times—if it is in line with the traditional ‘criteria of canonicity’. And there is no reason to exclude the bearing of other lines of evidence on any position that is accepted by faith. In””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Faith links the New Testament to Christ’s tradition; historical consistency strengthens belief.
In simple terms: Faith connects scripture to tradition; history supports belief.
Key Takeaway
Align faith with historical evidence.
Themes
faith
tradition
canon
historical criticism
theology
Mood
thoughtful
academic
reflective
Type
theological
scholarly
When to use this quote
- church teaching
- academic research
- personal study of scripture
Key Concepts
Biblical studies
historical theology
canonical criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence convinces you of canonicity?
- How do you reconcile faith with scholarly critique?
A Different Perspective
Faith may conflict with critical findings.