“Deciding” the Canon of Scripture: Damasus and the Council of Rome in 382 AD

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Historical recognition of the canon of Scripture is far more complicated than most realize, particularly for the Old Testament (OT). I’m planning a series on the OT canon, but here I hope to address a commonly asserted but false claim, namely that: Pope Damasus/the Council of Rome in 382 decided (or canonized) books of the Bible.

This claim surfaces frequently in online discussions. Both lay and professional apologists repeat it. The latter should keep the former in check but that rarely happens. Repetition of these false claims does not contribute to productive dialog. I suppose those who make a living preaching to the choir don’t consider historicity and productive dialog of much concern. A scholar with whom I recently corresponded said it well: “The biggest pitfall of most avowed apologists (of all stripes) is back-projection, wanting to see the present Church (and typically the one to which they profess membership) in the past.”

The books of the Codes Sinaiticus do not exactly match the canon of Scripture recognized by any Christian tradition.
Codex Sinaiticus (source) is a mid-4th century manuscript that contains the earliest complete copy of the NT. It also contains some, but not all, of the contested OT books that appear today in Catholic Bibles (see here).
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The Mythical Legend of Boniface and the Christmas Tree

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In the U.S., my favorite holiday (Thanksgiving) is behind us. Now, the madness of the hyper-commercialized Christmas season is upon us. I confess, the overabundance of hype and secular slant that now dominates, make it difficult for me to enjoy Christmas. I’m most assuredly not joyless but mythical legends like that of St. Boniface and the Christmas tree don’t help.

Unfortunately, madness isn’t confined to secular myths about jolly overweight men in red suits and unbounded commercialism. In recent years, this false legend concerning the origin of the Christmas tree has been widely circulated. The internet era quickens and intensifies the production and repetition of manmade history, both in secular and religious spheres.

The Vatican first displayed a Christmas tree in 1982, a mere 40 years ago and within my own lifetime. I do not oppose Christmas trees. My family recently put our tree up and I’m glad the Vatican does so. This is one Christmas tradition I enjoy. What I am against is false legends that get unknowingly and uncritically consumed by the masses, especially when they are propagated by those who should know better, in support of their exclusivist religious tradition.

Boniface and the Christmas Tree - a mythical story.
St. Boniface is said to have cut down an oak tree sacred to the pagan god Thor. In it’s place, an evergreen fir tree supposedly grew, symbolizing the everlasting nature of Jesus.
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Who Could Have Foreseen How Much Misery…?

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Not just misery but who could have foreseen how much misery, corruption, scandal, blasphemy, ingratitude, and wickedness would result from Luther’s movement? The era of Reformations was chaotic on all sides but did Martin Luther really “bemoan the religious indifference wrought by the movement he began” with these words? Here is an article that discusses proto-Protestants and that makes this claim. The claim finds support in a supposed quote from Luther himself. The end of the article, where this appears, is seen in this screenshot:

False Martin Luther quote as it appears on catholic.com. Who could have foreseen how much misery?
False Martin Luther quote as it appears on catholic.com[1]Catholic Answers. “The Protestants Who Came Before the Protestants.” Steve Weidenkopf, Catholic Answers, 26 Aug. 2022. Web. 27 Nov. 2022.
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References

References
↑1Catholic Answers. “The Protestants Who Came Before the Protestants.” Steve Weidenkopf, Catholic Answers, 26 Aug. 2022. Web. 27 Nov. 2022.
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