Few scholars have thought so long or so carefully about the role ofbiblical authority in the light of historical-and literary-criticalscholarship as has James D. G. Dunn. Even fewer are as capable ofcommunicating profound respect for the biblical witness with genuineinsight into its complexity and pluriformity. Avoiding easy-andpossibly misleading-answers, Dunn offers precise responses toquestions about the history behind the Gospels and their consequenttrustworthiness; the original scandal presented by Jesus' teaching, and by Paul's; the problem of pseudonymity in the Pauline letters andelsewhere; and what weight should be given to what the Bible itselfsays about scriptural authority, and to the final shape of thebiblical canon. This Second Edition includes new essays on "bridgingthe gap between the academy and the church," the hallmarks of "goodexposition" of scripture, and a concluding chapter on the Bible asliving tradition.