It is reported in the supplement of the council of Nicæan…
“It is reported in the supplement of the council of Nicæan that the fathers, being very perplexed to know which were the cryphal or apocryphal books of the Old and New Testaments, put them all pell-mell on an altar, and the books to be rejected fell to the ground. It is a pity that this eloquent procedure has not survived.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Early church leaders randomly discarded texts, illustrating chaotic attempts to define canon.
In simple terms: Early church leaders randomly discarded texts.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the chaos in defining truth.
Themes
religion
history
canon formation
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- theological debates
- academic research
- library curation
Key Concepts
authority
uncertainty
tradition
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria should guide canon formation?
- How does randomness affect our trust in history?
A Different Perspective
The method lacked systematic criteria, leading to loss of valuable works.