The term "Deuterocanonical" refers to a set of books and passages considered canonical by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church but are not included in the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant Old Testament. The word "Deuterocanonical" itself means "second canon," indicating their secondary status in terms of canonical recognition compared to the "Protocanonical" books, which are universally accepted by Jews and all Christian denominations.

Historical Context and Canonical Status

The Deuterocanonical books were primarily written during the intertestamental period, a time between the Old and New Testaments, roughly from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD. These texts were included in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which was widely used in the early Christian Church. The Council of Rome (AD 382), the Synod of Hippo (AD 393), and the Councils of Carthage (AD 397 and 419) affirmed the inclusion of these books in the canon of Scripture for the Western Church.

During the Reformation, Protestant reformers, most notably Martin Luther, questioned the canonical status of these books, leading to their exclusion from the Protestant Old Testament. The Council of Trent (1546) reaffirmed their status as canonical for the Roman Catholic Church in response to Protestant challenges.

Books Included

The Deuterocanonical books include:

1. Tobit
2. Judith
3. Additions to Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4–16:24)
4. Wisdom of Solomon
5. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
6. Baruch, including the Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch 6)
7. Additions to Daniel:
· The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:24–90)
· Susanna (Daniel 13)
· Bel and the Dragon (Daniel 14)
8. 1 Maccabees
9. 2 Maccabees

Theological Themes and Contributions

The Deuterocanonical books contribute significantly to theological and moral teachings, providing insights into Jewish thought and practice during the Second Temple period. They address themes such as divine wisdom, the importance of faithfulness to God's law, the power of prayer, and the hope of resurrection.

For example, the Book of Wisdom emphasizes the pursuit of wisdom and righteousness, stating, "For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her" (Wisdom 7:8). Sirach offers practical advice on ethical living and the fear of the Lord, while 1 and 2 Maccabees recount the struggles of the Jewish people against Hellenistic oppression, highlighting themes of courage and divine deliverance.

Use in Liturgy and Doctrine

In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, the Deuterocanonical books are used in liturgical readings and have influenced various doctrines. For instance, the concept of purgatory finds some of its scriptural basis in 2 Maccabees 12:45, which speaks of prayers for the dead: "Therefore, he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin" .

Controversies and Debates

The inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books has been a point of contention between different Christian traditions. Protestant reformers argued that these books did not meet the criteria of canonicity, such as apostolic authorship or direct inspiration by the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches maintain that these books are divinely inspired and have been historically recognized as part of the Christian canon.

Despite these differences, the Deuterocanonical books continue to be valued for their historical, cultural, and spiritual insights, offering a broader understanding of the biblical narrative and the development of Judeo-Christian thought.(a.) Pertaining to a second canon, or ecclesiastical writing of inferior authority; -- said of the Apocrypha, certain Epistles, etc.DEUTERO-CANONICAL, BOOKS

du-ter-o-ka-non'-i-kal: A term sometimes used to designate certain books, which by the Council of Trent were included in the Old Testament, but which the Protestant churches designated as apocryphal (see APOCRYPHA), and also certain books of the New Testament which for a long time were not accepted by the whole church as Scripture. Webster says the term pertains to "a second Canon or ecclesiastical writing of inferior authority," and the history of these books shows that they were all at times regarded by a part of the church as being inferior to the others and some of them are so regarded today. This second Canon includes Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclusiasticus, 2 Esdras, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees of the Old Testament, and Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation of the New Testament.

1. The Old Testament Books:

The Old Testament books under consideration were not in the Hebrew Canon and they were originally designated as apocryphal. The Septuagint contained many of the apocrphyal books, and among these were most of those which we have designated deutero-canonical. The Septuagint was perhaps the Greek Bible of New Testament times and it continued to be the Old Testament of the early church, and hence, these books were widely distributed. It seems, however, that they did not continue to hold their place along with the other books, for Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, in his Festal Epistle in 367 gave a list of the books of the Bible which were to be read, and at the close of this list he said: "There are also other books besides these, not canonized, yet set by the Fathers to be read to those who have just come up and who wish to be informed as to the word of godliness: Wisdom, Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit, the so-called Teaching of the Apes, and the Shepherd of Hermas." Jerome also made a distinction between the apocryphal books and the others. In his Preface, after enumerating the books contained in the Hebrew Canon, he adds: "This prologue I write as a preface to the books to be translated by us from the Hebrew into Latin, that we may know that all the books which are not of this number are apocrphyal; therefore Wisdom, which is commonly ascribed to Solomon as its author, and the book of Jesus the son of Sirach, Judith, Tobit and the Shepher are not in the Canon." Rufinus made the same distinction as did Jerome. He declared that "these books are not canonical, but have been called by our forefathers ecclesiastical." Augustine included these books in his list which he published in 397. He begins the list thus: "The entire canon of Scripture is comprised in these books." Then follows a list of the books which includes Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 2 Esdras, Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus, and it closes with these words: "In these 44 books is comprised all the authority of the Old Testament." Inasmuch as these books were regarded by the church at large as ecclesiastical and helpful, and Augustine had given them canonical sanction, they rapidly gained in favor and most of them are found in the great manuscripts.

See CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

2. The New Testament Books:

It is not probable that there was any general council of the church in those early centuries that set apart the various books of the New Testament and canonized them as Scripture for the whole church. There was no single historical event which brought together the New Testament books which were everywhere to be regarded as Scripture. These books did not make the same progress in the various provinces and churches. A careful study of conditions reveals the fact that there was no uniform New Testament canon in the church during at least the first 3 centuries. The Ethiopic church, for example, had 35 books in its New Testament, while the Syrian church had only 22 books.

From an early date the churches were practically agreed on those books which are sometimes designated as the protocanonical, and which Eusebius designated as the homologoumena. They differed, however, in regard to the 7 disputed books which form a part of the so-called deutero-canon, and which Eusebius designated as the antilegomena. They also differed in regard to other ecclesiastical writings, for there was no fixed line between canonical and non-canonical books. While there was perhaps no council of the church that had passed on the books and declared them canonical, it is undoubtedly true that before the close of the 2nd century all the books that are in our New Testament, with the exception of those under consideration, had become recognized as Scripture in all orthodox churches.

The history of these seven books reveals the fact that although some of them were early used by the Fathers, they afterward fell into disfavor. That is especially true of Hebrews and Revelation. Generally speaking, it can be said that at the close of the 2nd century the 7 books under consideration had failed to receive any such general recognition as had the rest; however, all, with perhaps the exception of 2 Peter, had been used by some of the Fathers. He was freely attested by Clement of Rome and Justin Martyr; James by Hermas and probably by Clement of Rome; 2 John, 3 John and Jude by the Muratorian Fragment; Revelation by Hermas and Justin Martyr who names John as its author.

See CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Jerome, who prepared the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) in the closing years of the 4th century, accepted all 7 of the doubtful books, yet he held that 2 John and 3 John were written by the Presbyter, and he intimated that 2 Peter and Jude were still rejected by some, and he said the Latins did not receive He among the canonical Scriptures, neither did the Greek churches receive Augustine, who was one of the great leaders during the last part of the 4th century and the first part of the 5th, accepted without question the 7 disputed books. These books had gradually gained in favor and the position of Jerome and Augustine practically settled their canonicity for the orthodox churches. The Council of Carthage, held in 397, adopted the catalogue of Augustine. This catalogue contained all the disputed books both of the New Testament and the Old Testament.

Since the Reformation.

The Canon of Augustine became the Canon of the majority of the churches and the Old Testament books which he accepted were added to the Vulgate, but there were some who still held to the Canon of Jerome. The awakening of the Reformation inevitably led to a reinvestigation of the Canon, since the Bible was made the source of authority, and some of the disputed books of the New Testament were again questioned by the Reformers. The position given the Bible by the Reformers led the Roman church to reaffirm its sanction and definitely to fix the books that should be accepted. Accordingly the Council of Trent, which convened in 1546, made the Canon of Augustine, which included the 7 apocphyal books of the Old Testament, and the 7 disputed books of the New Testament, the Canon of the church, and it pronounced a curse upon those who did not receive these books. The Protestants at first followed the example of Rome and adopted these books which had long had the sanction of usage as their Bible. Gradually, however, the questioned books of the Old Testament were separated from the others. That was true in Coverdale's translation, and in Matthew's Bible they were not only separated from the others but they were prefaced with the words, "the volume of the book called Hagiographa." In Cranmer's Bible, Hagiographa was changed into Apocrypha, and this passed through the succeeding edition into the King James Version.

A. W. Fortune

On the Doctrine of St. Ambrose.
... He admits Tobit as prophetic, Judith as canonical, nor does he distinguish between
canonical and deuterocanonical, while the sapiential books are all ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/iv on the doctrine of.htm

Psalm XXXVI.
... 15. [Here cited as Scripture, but only deuterocanonical (as St. Jerome testifies),
illustrating the Law and the Prophets, but not of authority in itself.--C.]. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxvi.htm

Ancient Versions Based Upon the Septuagint.
... Dillmann edited the Octateuch and the four books of Kingdoms (1853" 71), and the
deuterocanonical books (1894); the book of Joel appeared in Merx, Die ...
/.../chapter iv ancient versions based.htm

Deuterocanonical

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Deutero-canonical
Deutero-canonical. Deuterocanonical, Deutero-canonical. Deuteronomy . Int. ... AW
Fortune. Deuterocanonical, Deutero-canonical. Deuteronomy . Reference Bible
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Deu'el (4 Occurrences)
Deu'el. Deuel, Deu'el. Deuterocanonical . Multi-Version Concordance Deu'el
(4 Occurrences). ... (See RSV). Deuel, Deu'el. Deuterocanonical . Reference Bible
/d/deu'el.htm - 7k

What are the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books? | GotQuestions.org

What is the book of Ecclesiasticus? | GotQuestions.org

What is the book of Tobit? | GotQuestions.org

Deuterocanonical: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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