Inerrancy and the church

Inerrancy and the Church was published in 1984 by Moody Press during a period of intense theological debate within American evangelicalism regarding the nature and authority of the Bible. Edited by John D. Hannah, a professor of historical theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, this volume served as a scholarly contribution to the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. It gathers a series of essays by various contributors intended to trace the historical development and defense of the inerrancy doctrine throughout the history of the church, aiming to demonstrate that the belief in the total accuracy of scripture was a consistent pillar of orthodoxy rather than a modern innovation.

The design and editorial direction of the work reflect the academic mission of Moody Press in the 1980s, which focused on providing rigorous intellectual support for traditionalist evangelical perspectives. The book was received primarily within academic and seminary circles as a foundational resource for students and clergy grappling with the challenges posed by critical historical methods. By framing the concept of inerrancy within a historical context, Hannah sought to ground the movement in historical continuity, providing a structured defense that became a reference point for subsequent theological discourse on the subject.