In Literary Terms - A Dictionary (1997), Karl Beckson & Arthur Ganz define “canon” in the following terms: “Saints´Canon”, a list of those who hav...

In Literary Terms - A Dictionary (1997), Karl Beckson & Arthur Ganz define “canon” in the following terms:

“Saints´Canon”, a list of those who have been canonized, i.e., accepted by the church.

According to the definition:


a. The term canon was originally a secular term.
b. It is only used to refer to Biblical writings.
c. Shakespeare is the only canonical writer.
d. The term canon, applied to literature, is derived from the Roman Catholic Church.
e. The term canon refers exclusively to the Canon of Saints.