Catholic men, click here to schedule a call with me: https://apply.thehouseofjoseph.org/calendar

St. Jerome is frequently cited to defend the Protestant canon, but does his theology actually support that position?

Many people point to St. Jerome as an early authority who questioned the canonicity of books like Sirach, Tobit, and Wisdom. While he did raise concerns based on the Jewish Bible of his era, this argument often ignores the wider context of his writings.

By examining his biblical prefaces and his broader theological work, we find that he contradicts the Protestant position on several key fronts. Relying on him as a champion for a restricted Biblical canon is a misunderstanding of his actual views. This analysis is for anyone interested in church history and the development of the scriptures.

We also look at his interactions with figures like Vigilantius to see how he handled dissent. Understanding the nuance of the deuterocanon debates requires looking at the full picture of the early church fathers rather than selecting isolated quotes.

Subscribe for weekly Catholic formation and reflections. Let me know in the comments: what is the most surprising thing you have learned about the early Church fathers?