Inventing the Apocrypha: The Role of Early Latin Canon Lists

Abstract

The Western churches have long had disagreements as to what books form the `canon' of the Old Testament, and, therefore, which books can be used in theological argument. This article argues that this dispute is itself a function of earlier disputes in the late patristic and early medieval periods, and explores how the solution to those disputes left a legacy of confusion that fuelled the Reformation and later debates. This exploration is focused on the canon listings that were produced as part of the patristic and early medieval debates.