Biblical Criticism Resources
Since I’m talking so much about critical theories in my discussion of Genesis 1-11 (now on chapter 6), I wanted to call some attention to material I have already posted concerning Biblical criticism. The best starting point for this information is the following pamphlet from the Participatory Study Series:
That pamphlet provides answers to some of the basic questions that many lay people have about Biblical criticism. I sometimes criticize conservative scholars for ignoring critical study and methodology, although many do take it into account, such as the authors of the New International Commentary on the New Testament, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, or the Apollos Old Testament series. Liberal scholars and teachers, on the other hand, often seem to simply assume critical results without giving people the chance to evaluate the methods and any assumptions behind them.
To help lay people understand better what is being said when people present conclusions from critical scholarship, and do so very likely with excessive confidence, I wrote a series of entries over on my Threads blog. Some time I’ll gather them together and make them more accessible, but in the meantime, here’s a list.
- Biblical Criticism Overview – I
- Determining Date and Authorship
- Dating the Book of Daniel
Not strictly part of the series, but an example of dealing with a problem. - Textual Criticism – Briefly
- Criticism Example: The Parable of the Sower
- Form Criticism
- Examples of Textual Issues in Translation
- Source Criticism
- Redaction Criticism
- Tradition Criticism
- Genre and Canonical Criticism
- Literary Criticism
- Isaiah 24-27: Overview
- Isaiah 24-27: Textual Issues
- Isaiah 24-27: Starting Form Criticism
- Isaiah 24-27: Basics of Criticism
- Isaiah 24-27: Interpretation
While it is not part of the criticism series, I have continued discussion of Isaiah 24-27 here on this blog, and intend to continue working slowly through that section of Isaiah.
The main point here is, as always, to evaluate claims for yourself, and not simply accept what others feed you.