James A. Sanders (1927-2020) was the Elizabeth Hay Bechtel Professor of Intertestamental and Biblical Studies at Claremont School of Theology and founder of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center, who pioneered the subdiscipline of Canon Criticism. His foundational work on canonization as community recognition shaped the field, though his 1970s-1980s formulations have been refined by subsequent scholarship.
Torah and Canon (1972); From Sacred Story to Sacred Text (Fortress, 1987); Canon and Community: A Guide to Canonical Criticism (1997); Canon articles in Encyclopedia of Religion (1987)