Apologetic Discourse and the Scribal Tradition

Kannaday (religion and philosophy Newberry College) asserts that apologetic interests influenced those who preserved and reproduced the early gospels of Matthew Mark Luke and John. Working from variant readings from traditional texts as well as from the contexts of early Christianity Kannaday finds sufficient evidence to support his assertion that portions of the canon at the very least were altered to support the acceptance of this new faith in various populations particular those of pagans. In particular he examines the apologetic claim to antiquity the shifts in emphasis in describing the life and purpose of the Christ the potentially calamitous cultural composition of the early faithful and the implications of apologetic influences on texts methodology and history. Kannaday includes a supplementary index of textual variants. Annotation 2004 Book News Inc. Portland OR (booknews)