extracanonical
- adjective
- /ˌɛkstrəˈkænɪkəl/
- Many scholars study the extracanonical texts to gain a deeper understanding of early Christian beliefs.
Examples
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Nowhere does he ask, "Does this writing function as the Word of God?" As one New Testament scholar has noted (Roy Hoover), "The reason, apparently, is that since all Christians were filled with the Spirit, a claim of inspiration would not have been useful as a way of distinguishing canonical from extracanonical Christian writings."
Blog text (29) -
The museum displayed several extracanonical manuscripts that provided insights into ancient religious practices.
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Historians often seek extracanonical writings to explore alternative narratives about famous historical figures.
Synonyms
Outside the usual or official list of important works
Not included in the official list of accepted books or works
Not part of the officially accepted story or rules
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word extracanonical joins extra- meaning 'outside' and canonical from canon meaning an 'official list' of books or rules, so it describes texts or stories that are outside the accepted collection.