Torah and Canon

The following is an essay in the origin and function of canon; it is, in effect, an invitation to formulate a sub-discipline of Bible study which [the author thinks] should be called canonical criticism. Canonical criticism cannot begin where most discussions of canon in the handbooks begin. The question of the "structure" of canon can only follow upon the question of the "function" of canon. The question of what is in (canon) and what is out (apocrypha) can only follow upon the question of the origins and function of canon. Tradition criticism, redaction criticism, canonical criticism, and comparative midrash must operate together in dialogue and must operate in that order of priority. What follows is not so much an exercise in canonical criticism, as it is a call for synagogue, church, and academy to recognize the discipline and engage in it. The starting point is Torah. [From the Author's Introduction]