Christ the Center: How the Rule of Faith, the Nomina Sacra, and Numerical Patterns Shape the Canon

The earliest Christians expressed their faith with creativity through symbols and summaries. In Christ the Center, Tomas Bokedal shows how the rule of faith, nomina sacra, and numerical patterns sprang from Scripture itself. The nomina sacra—scribal reverence for divine names within Scripture—display remarkable intentionality and theological reflection. The nomina sacra directed the emerging rule of faith. These scribal practices reveal early devotional and theological preoccupation and guided the text’s shape and interpretation in the early centuries after Christ. The rule of faith is in the Bible.

Christ the Center showcases early Christian reverence for Scripture—and especially for the One of whom Scripture speaks.