Canon

Canon refers to a defined body of texts that a community accepts as authoritative. The process of forming a canon involves long-term use, evaluation, and debate rather than a single moment of decision. Texts become canonical through repeated reading, teaching, and reliance, while others fall outside the collection. A canon establishes boundaries, shaping which voices are treated as normative and which are secondary or excluded. In religious and literary contexts, canon influences interpretation by setting limits on what counts as scripture or foundational literature, while also reflecting historical power, tradition, and communal priorities.