Tradition: Old and New

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us," said the Apostle Paul. Yet some Christians seem to regard complete freedom from any kind of tradition as a sign of spiritual maturity. The fact is, when we seek to abandon old traditions, we create new ones. F.F. Bruce explains it this way: "It is noteworthy how often the renunciation of an old tradition is followed by the speedy development of a new one."

Tradition Old and New traces the development of Christian tradition through the last 2,000 years and examines its special relevance to Christian thought today. F.F. Bruce's "careful and detailed evaluation ends," says reviewer E.B. Mellor, "with the verdict that while tradition at its worst can be an arbitrary and restrictive influence, it is nevertheless an integral, not to say essential, part of Christianity."

Professor Bruce comes to this conclusion after examining the tradition of the Pharisees, the tradition of the apostles, the role of tradition in the formation of the Gospel materials, early Christian tradition in the interpretation of the Old Testament, extra-canonical traditions of the life and teaching of Jesus, tradition in the early catholic church, the role of tradition in the establishment of the text and canon of Scripture, and aspects of then-current debates on tradition in the 1960s.

"What interests me especially," Bruce says, "is the part played by tradition in the life and thought of people who in theory and profession repudiate the authority of tradition, appealing . . . to the Bible alone" in the mistaken idea that tradition is always bad. This book is a valuable corrective to that idea.

Tradition Old and New is, as D.J.A. Clines says in the Evangelical Quarterly, "A refreshing and challenging book" because it examines the history of tradition from apostolic times to today.