Brief History of the New Testament and Analysis of the Canonical and Apocryphal Scriptures

A Brief History of the New Testament is a good starting place for those wanting a quick glance at how the NT came to us. It's also a starting place for those recovering from Biblical Literalism and the inerrency/ infallibility doctrine. A companion site, The Whole Bible: Analysis of the Canonical and Apocryphal New Testament Scriptures, categorizes the types of documents in the canon and includes links to other known documents that are excluded from the canon.

From the introduction:

In the two thousand years since the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the world of Christendom has seen incredible changes, including a split with the Eastern Orthodox Church and a Protestant Reformation, accompanied by a rejection of much core ideology. Yet throughout it all, the collection of scripture called the New Testament has remained unchanged and largely unquestioned, even though it was assembled by the same church leaders whose beliefs many now refute.

To challenge the veracity of the canonical New Testament is, at best, an uncomfortable position; such questions strike at the very heart of most Christians' faith. Nevertheless, these sacred writings have come to us only after decades of oral traditions and centuries of scribal rewrites, much according to the beliefs of select groups in the early days of Christianity. It is only by attempting to study the origins and evolution of the New Testament scriptures that one can hope to discover the true historical Jesus—a worthy goal of any Christian believer. (emphasis mine)

There are many links to other sources for Christian scriptural history and a suggested reading list.

• Brief History of the New Testament and Analysis of the Canonical and Apocryphal Scriptures