Bible Question: What are the differences between the two interpretative methodologies of "higher criticism" and "lower criticism"? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Greetings Hank! I love technical questions! As you mentioned in your question, there are two types of biblical criticisms. The first is called "lower criticism." "Lower criticism" basically focuses upon textual questions. It takes the various manuscripts, and based upon the evidence, tries to determine the original text of the Bible. Thus, "lower criticism" is basically Textual criticism. "Higher criticism" differs quite a bit from "lower criticism." "Higher criticism" uses assumptions about the way in which information is transmitted, arranged, or used. It uses these assumptions to try and determine what the original form of the information may have been. Unlike "lower criticism," which uses the hard texts to form its conclusions, "higher criticism" uses assumptions only to determine what the original story might have been. Unfortunately, most higher critics tend to have a very low view of Scripture. So, they spend most of their time trying to explain why the text didn’t really mean what it says. Here are some of the disciples within "higher criticism." 1) Literary Criticism: This is the study of questions such as authorship, date, place of writing, recipients, style, sources, integrity, and purpose of any piece of literature. 2) Form Criticism: This is the attempt to analyze the Gospels in order to recover the process by which the original, purely historical tradition was transformed into the supernaturally colored tradition as it is embodied in the written Gospels which we have today. 3) Historical Criticism: This is the attempt to critically study ancient records in order to re-construct what really happened in the past. The main problem with all of these disciplines is that they all approach Scripture with an anti-supernatural bias. According to these disciplines: miracles could not have happened; Scripture is simply the product of someone’s religious agenda; we must get back the "historical Jesus." In conclusion, I have very little trust in "higher criticism." It is a realm of opinion, bias, and speculation. However, "lower criticism" deals with facts - the manuscripts as we have them. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
Up | Down View Branch | ID# 10239 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 1 | Author | ||
|
Morant61 | ||
|
Makarios | ||
|
taby815 | ||
|
scotth68 | ||
|
Hank | ||
|
Hank | ||
|
Hank | ||
|
Hank | ||
|
Morant61 | ||
|
melchizedekau | ||
|
melchizedekau |