bibliology

Bibliology, also called the study of the Bible, is the branch of theology devoted to the study of the Bible as a sacred document. It examines the nature and divine origin of biblical revelation, the processes by which texts were composed, copied, and preserved, and the question of the Bible’s authority for faith and practice.

Key concerns include inspiration and revelation, the formation of the biblical canon, and the concepts of inerrancy or infallibility. Bibliologists also study textual transmission, variants among manuscripts, and the challenges of translation. The field interacts with textual criticism, philology, and archaeology to assess textual integrity.

Canonical formation varies across traditions. Judaism and Christianity developed canons under different criteria, with Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant schemas differing in included books. Manuscript evidence such as ancient codices and early copies, along with translations into Greek, Latin, and other languages, informs scholarly reconstructions of original texts.

Methodologically, bibliology employs philology, manuscript studies, and historical-critical methods alongside hermeneutics and exegesis. Its conclusions influence interpretation, doctrine, and pedagogy. In modern scholarship, debates address the nature of inspiration, the degree of human involvement, and the reliability of transmission, while religious communities assess the authority of their scriptures.