In Prospect, Richard Jenkyns writes about Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' plea for a "canon" of great literature to be recognized again, including the Bible. The idea of a canon began, of course, canonically - "The early church had to decide which of its texts were sacred scripture and which were not. ...either a book was in or it was out. There might be debates about particular texts—the Book of Esther and the second Epistle of Peter, for example, were long in doubt—but once the decision was made, it was clear-cut...." This religious notion in due course blended with another - the idea of genius, that great poets and musicians are set apart, touched by grace.
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