Appendix B: Global Christian Canons

This chapter is part of the book The Sacred Editors: Christianity.

When people refer to "the Bible," they often mean a single book with fixed contents. But across global Christianity, the Bible is not one book—it's many collections, reflecting diverse theological priorities, cultural histories, and canonization processes. Some are shorter. Some are longer. Some include books that would surprise Western readers. And all of them, in their own way, claim continuity with the earliest Christian communities.

This appendix summarizes the major biblical canons used today by global Christian traditions, highlighting differences in composition and theological emphasis, followed by a detailed comparison chart.

Understanding Canonical Differences

Canonicity vs. Liturgical Use: A book may be "canonical" (formally recognized as Scripture with doctrinal authority) or have "liturgical use" (read in worship and valued for spiritual instruction without full canonical status). The distinction helps explain why some traditions respect certain texts without formally canonizing them.

Key Terms:

Deuterocanonical: "Second canon" books accepted by Catholics and Orthodox but rejected by Protestants
Apocrypha: Books considered non-canonical but sometimes valuable for reading (Protestant usage)
Peshitta: Standard Syriac Bible translation, meaning "simple" or "common"
Ge'ez: Ancient liturgical language of Ethiopian Christianity
Septuagint (LXX): Greek translation of Hebrew Bible that included broader collection of books

Major Christian Canonical Traditions

1. Protestant Canon (66 books)

Structure:

Old Testament: 39 books (aligned with Jewish Tanakh, though ordered differently)
New Testament: 27 books

Notable Features:

Exclusions: Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, 1-2 Maccabees, additions to Esther and Daniel)
Standardized by: Martin Luther (16th century); Westminster Confession (1646)
Languages of Authority: Hebrew (OT), Greek (NT)
Historical Note: Apocrypha appeared in early Protestant Bibles (1611 KJV) but later removed

2. Roman Catholic Canon (73 books)

Structure:

Old Testament: 46 books (includes Deuterocanonical texts)
New Testament: 27 books

Distinctive Books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, 1-2 Maccabees, additions to Daniel and Esther

Authority:

Formalized at: Council of Trent (1546)
Languages: Latin Vulgate (historically); vernacular translations (contemporary)

3. Eastern Orthodox Canon (76-77 books)

Structure:

Old Testament: Up to 51 books (varies by national church)
New Testament: 27 books

Additional Texts: 1 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, Prayer of Manasseh, sometimes 4 Maccabees in appendices

Authority:

Languages: Greek, Church Slavonic, national languages
Variations: Greek, Russian, Serbian, and other Orthodox churches maintain slight differences

4. Oriental Orthodox Canons

Coptic Orthodox (Egypt)

Structure: Similar to Catholic + additional books
Distinctive Features: 1 Enoch and Jubilees in some manuscripts
Language: Coptic, Arabic

Armenian Apostolic

Old Testament: 39 books + 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151
New Testament: 27 books + historically included 3 Corinthians and correspondence between Paul and Corinthians
Distinctive Features: Strong liturgical use of apocryphal gospels

Syriac Orthodox

Traditional Peshitta: Originally lacked 2 Peter, 2-3 John, Jude, Revelation
Modern Editions: Include all 27 NT books
Regional Texts: Acts of Thomas popular though never canonized

5. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (81 books)

Structure:

Old Testament: 46+ books
New Testament: 35 books

Unique Inclusions: Jubilees, 1 Enoch, 3-4 Baruch, Ascension of Isaiah, various Ethiopian texts

Significance:

Largest canon in any Christian tradition
Complete preservation of 1 Enoch only in Ge'ez
Ancient independence from Western canonical decisions
Language: Ge'ez (liturgical), Amharic (contemporary)

6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Standard Works:

Bible: 66 books (Protestant canon, usually KJV)
Book of Mormon: 19th-century revelation through Joseph Smith
Doctrine and Covenants: Ongoing revelations to church prophets
Pearl of Great Price: Additional scriptural materials

Distinctive Features:

Open canon: Further revelation can be added through proper channels
Recent assembly: Most recently formed major Christian canon
Original language: English, now globally translated

Comprehensive Canon Comparison Chart

Legend

✅ = Included in canon
❌ = Not included
✳️ = Liturgically or regionally respected
✅* = Includes Greek additions
Appendix = Found in some versions or supplements
Varies = Regional or denominational differences

Biblical Book/Text	Protestant	Catholic	Eastern Orthodox	Oriental Orthodox	Ethiopian Orthodox	LDS
OLD TESTAMENT CORE
Genesis	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Exodus	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Leviticus	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Numbers	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Deuteronomy	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Joshua	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Judges	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Ruth	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
1-2 Samuel	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
1-2 Kings	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
1-2 Chronicles	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Ezra-Nehemiah	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Esther	✅	✅*	✅*	✅*	✅*	✅
Job	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Psalms	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Proverbs	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Ecclesiastes	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Song of Songs	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Isaiah	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Jeremiah	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Lamentations	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Ezekiel	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Daniel	✅	✅*	✅*	✅*	✅*	✅
Minor Prophets	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
DEUTEROCANONICAL/APOCRYPHAL
Tobit	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Judith	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Additions to Esther	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Wisdom of Solomon	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Baruch	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Letter of Jeremiah	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Additions to Daniel	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
1 Maccabees	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
2 Maccabees	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
3 Maccabees	❌	❌	✅	Varies	❌	❌
4 Maccabees	❌	❌	Appendix	❌	❌	❌
Psalm 151	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	❌
Prayer of Manasseh	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	❌
1 Esdras	❌	Varies	✅	✅	✅	❌
2 Esdras	❌	Varies	✅	✅	✅	❌
ETHIOPIAN DISTINCTIVE
3 Baruch	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
4 Baruch	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Jubilees	❌	❌	❌	✳️	✅	❌
1 Enoch	❌	❌	❌	✳️	✅	❌
Ascension of Isaiah	❌	❌	❌	✳️	✅	❌
NEW TESTAMENT
Four Gospels	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Acts	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Pauline Letters	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
3 Corinthians	❌	❌	❌	✳️ (Armenian)	❌	❌
Catholic Epistles	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Revelation	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Additional Ethiopian NT	❌	❌	❌	❌	8 more books	❌
LDS DISTINCTIVE
Book of Mormon	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Doctrine & Covenants	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Pearl of Great Price	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅

Total Book Counts:

Protestant: 66 books
Catholic: 73 books
Eastern Orthodox: 76-77 books
Ethiopian Orthodox: 81 books
LDS: 66 + 3 additional standard works

Regional and Cultural Context

African Christianity

Ethiopian Orthodox traditions preserve the most extensive canonical collection, reflecting early African Christian independence from Mediterranean canonical decisions. Coptic traditions in Egypt maintain connections to both Catholic patterns and distinctive regional texts.

Asian Christianity

Syriac Christianity in Iraq, Syria, and India developed distinctive canonical emphases through the Peshitta tradition. Armenian Christianity at the crossroads of Byzantine and Persian empires created unique theological syntheses reflected in canonical choices.

European Christianity

Eastern Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Serbian) maintain Greek textual traditions with slight regional variations. Western Christianity split between Catholic (broader) and Protestant (narrower) canonical traditions during the Reformation.

American Christianity

Latter-day Saints represent the most recent major canonical development, adding 19th-20th century revelations to traditional biblical collections while maintaining an open canonical process.

Observations and Theological Implications

Commonalities

The 27-book New Testament remains consistent across nearly all traditions (with Ethiopian expansion and some Syriac historical variations)
Core Old Testament (39 books) accepted universally with variations in additional materials
Liturgical coherence maintained within each tradition despite canonical differences

Differences Reflect

Historical isolation: Geographic separation during canonical formation periods
Linguistic traditions: Hebrew vs. Greek vs. local language priorities
Theological emphases: Different approaches to law, wisdom, apocalyptic literature
Cultural integration: Adaptation to local philosophical and religious contexts

Contemporary Significance

Ecumenical dialogue must navigate literal differences in scriptural foundations
Biblical authority questions cannot ignore global canonical diversity
Interfaith understanding benefits from recognizing shared canonical challenges across traditions
Digital access now makes cross-traditional canonical study available to ordinary believers

Why Global Canon Diversity Matters

Understanding global Christian canons reminds us that the Bible is not a single book with a single history, but a diverse library reflecting many communities' theological priorities and historical experiences. Each canonical tradition preserves not just Scripture, but cultural memory—what counted as sacred, what was feared as dangerous, what provided spiritual guidance, and what was deemed essential for community identity.

Contemporary Implications:

Biblical interpretation varies not just by method but by textual foundation
Theological dialogue requires awareness of different scriptural starting points
Global Christianity encompasses remarkable canonical diversity that challenges Western assumptions
Digital scholarship enables cross-traditional learning previously impossible

To study the Bible is to study many Bibles. In doing so, we discover a faith that is simultaneously shared and scattered, fixed and fluid, local and global. The diversity of canonical traditions testifies to both the universal appeal of biblical literature and the particular wisdom of communities that have preserved these texts across centuries of changing circumstances.

For Further Exploration:

Digital collections of Ethiopian, Armenian, and Syriac biblical texts
Comparative canon studies in academic biblical scholarship
Interfaith dialogue resources addressing scriptural diversity
Contemporary translations representing different canonical traditions