10. Making Canon

Abstract

The first half of this chapter looks at how deep-ken value was added to Bibles and Qur'ans with calligraphy, decoration, and sacred language. The second half shows how there developed a more plain-ken attitude, which manifested in an acceptance of messy vernacular translations and two efficiency revolutions—(1) automation in Bible production through the printing press and (2) miniaturization in Qur'an production with the shift from the “perfect” muhaqqaq script to the workhorse naskh. In the plain ken, all meaning is constructed in history, by humans for humans, independent of other factors. In the deep ken, meaning is deeply contextualized, independent of historical time, but dependent on consonance. The deep ken found value in reading a high-quality edition of scripture with a serious and purposeful mindset, while the plain ken held scripture's meaning to be constant, regardless of where or how one read it.