Synods of Hippo and Carthage Affirm Canon Lists
North African church councils affirmed lists corresponding to the twenty-seven-book New Testament and a broader Old Testament collection used in their churches.
Full Account
The Synod of Hippo and the Third Council of Carthage addressed which books should be read as divine Scripture in church. Their New Testament lists agree with the present twenty-seven books.
These were regional councils, not secret gatherings that manufactured the Bible. They confirmed an inherited consensus after centuries of use and discussion. Their Old Testament list also reflects the broader Greek and Latin Christian tradition, an issue on which later Christian communions differ.
Historical Significance
The councils gave formal regional confirmation to a New Testament collection already widely recognized.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Augustine of Hippo; North African bishops
- Key places: Hippo Regius; Carthage; North Africa
- Languages: Latin