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Guides for the Perplexed
The Historical-Critical Method: A Guide for the Perplexed
Historical Critical Analysis is the main way in which the Bible (both the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the New Testament) has been examined and read by scholars in the last century.
The term refers to a range of methodologies which examine the origins of biblical texts, in relation to other contemporaneous texts, to form critical approaches and to questions of authorship, audience and authenticty. The aim is to get as close to the 'original text' and its 'original meaning' as possible. For many years Historical Critical Method has been the cornerstone upon which biblical scholarship is built, even as modern studies examine other theoretical approaches to reading the text in history, tradition, and from different audience perspectives the Historical Critical Method still presents the crucial starting point for students and scholars.
The term refers to a range of methodologies which examine the origins of biblical texts, in relation to other contemporaneous texts, to form critical approaches and to questions of authorship, audience and authenticty. The aim is to get as close to the 'original text' and its 'original meaning' as possible. For many years Historical Critical Method has been the cornerstone upon which biblical scholarship is built, even as modern studies examine other theoretical approaches to reading the text in history, tradition, and from different audience perspectives the Historical Critical Method still presents the crucial starting point for students and scholars.
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 8, 2014
I recently read a book about the same subject which was written for university students. Compared to that book, I’d say this book was obviously an easier read, ”for the perplexed”.
You don’t have to know greek or hebrew at all, the examples taken from the Bible were familiar, and at the end of each chapter there’s a ”(method) in action” where the writer goes through step by step, how this particular method is applied. The examples used are always the same ones; one from the NT and the other one from the OT. This way the reader gets a thorough look at these particular verses using all of the historical-critical methods.
In the introduction the writer even explains the terms ”criticism” and ”critical”, which I think is important; in everyday language ”being critical” means ”find fault”, but in this context it actually means ”objective evaluation”.
I think this is the misconception that leads people into thinking that all this research is a) inevitably detrimental to Christianity and the Bible, and b) only done by unbelievers. Certainly I’ve seen a lot of sceptic blogs recycle all this historical-critical knowledge, thinking that it is the science that proves Christianity false and the Bible untrue.
This book is definitely written for the perplexed and I think it’s a good one at that. If you’re not so perplexed, maybe you want to read something more demanding, the more complex stuff is also more fascinating.
You don’t have to know greek or hebrew at all, the examples taken from the Bible were familiar, and at the end of each chapter there’s a ”(method) in action” where the writer goes through step by step, how this particular method is applied. The examples used are always the same ones; one from the NT and the other one from the OT. This way the reader gets a thorough look at these particular verses using all of the historical-critical methods.
In the introduction the writer even explains the terms ”criticism” and ”critical”, which I think is important; in everyday language ”being critical” means ”find fault”, but in this context it actually means ”objective evaluation”.
I think this is the misconception that leads people into thinking that all this research is a) inevitably detrimental to Christianity and the Bible, and b) only done by unbelievers. Certainly I’ve seen a lot of sceptic blogs recycle all this historical-critical knowledge, thinking that it is the science that proves Christianity false and the Bible untrue.
This book is definitely written for the perplexed and I think it’s a good one at that. If you’re not so perplexed, maybe you want to read something more demanding, the more complex stuff is also more fascinating.
January 8, 2023
A brilliant introduction to the historical-critical method as used in biblical studies (and by extension Islamic studies, though the book is focused exclusively on its application to the Bible), as noted, for the perplexed among us.
The author starts off with meticulously analyzing what the historical-critical method (henceforth HCM) consists of, down to unpacking what each word of the term itself means as it applies to scholarship both of the Old and New Testaments, highlighting the principles of probability, analogy and correlation that underlie the methods of HCM (those being textual, source, form and redaction criticism). This is followed by a historical exposition of HCM, starting from the early Church Fathers interestingly enough and increasingly through the Renaissance and Reformation, culminating in the Enlightenment where most of modern scholarship has taken off from along with the previous century further refining the tools of HCM. The first tool under observation is that of textual criticism, whose role is to facilitate interpretation for a text by establishing as authentically as possible the original wording of said text. The second being source criticism which helps reconstruct the original sources at play in the composition of biblical texts. The third tool is form criticism, concerned with the identification and analysis of forms that permeate biblical writings as well as the genres to which they belong to. The last one is redaction criticism, which seeks to show how authors and compilers of biblical texts edited their materials so as to create a coherent text. The author goes into detail into each tool’s history, their weaknesses as well as their strengths, the presuppositions and methods that constitute them which gives a rather comprehensive overview of how biblical scholarship is conducted. Finally, the book ends with a return to the HCM, highlighting some critiques that have been made in regard to it (e.g. positivism, historicism) and the responses to them.
This was a great introduction to biblical scholarship and in particular the HCM, the structure of the book just flows very nicely with how dense the material (especially when it comes to the history behind each tool) can get.
The author starts off with meticulously analyzing what the historical-critical method (henceforth HCM) consists of, down to unpacking what each word of the term itself means as it applies to scholarship both of the Old and New Testaments, highlighting the principles of probability, analogy and correlation that underlie the methods of HCM (those being textual, source, form and redaction criticism). This is followed by a historical exposition of HCM, starting from the early Church Fathers interestingly enough and increasingly through the Renaissance and Reformation, culminating in the Enlightenment where most of modern scholarship has taken off from along with the previous century further refining the tools of HCM. The first tool under observation is that of textual criticism, whose role is to facilitate interpretation for a text by establishing as authentically as possible the original wording of said text. The second being source criticism which helps reconstruct the original sources at play in the composition of biblical texts. The third tool is form criticism, concerned with the identification and analysis of forms that permeate biblical writings as well as the genres to which they belong to. The last one is redaction criticism, which seeks to show how authors and compilers of biblical texts edited their materials so as to create a coherent text. The author goes into detail into each tool’s history, their weaknesses as well as their strengths, the presuppositions and methods that constitute them which gives a rather comprehensive overview of how biblical scholarship is conducted. Finally, the book ends with a return to the HCM, highlighting some critiques that have been made in regard to it (e.g. positivism, historicism) and the responses to them.
This was a great introduction to biblical scholarship and in particular the HCM, the structure of the book just flows very nicely with how dense the material (especially when it comes to the history behind each tool) can get.
December 17, 2014
David R. Law's introduction to the historical-critical method of interpreting the Bible is a very thorough book. Readers of this book will become well-informed regarding how biblical studies became dominated by the historical—critical approach and what it is that this approach entails. Read more here: http://www.brianleport.com/personal-b...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews