Biblical Criticism – Higher (1 of 13 notes)

Part Two
Bibliology: 12 BIBLICAL CRITICISM - HIGHER
A DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY
By Charles F Baker

Orr distinguishes thus between Lower and Higher Criticism:

Criticism of Scripture (“Bib. criticism”) is usually divided into what is called “lower or textual criticism” and “higher criticism” - the latter a phrase round which many misleading associations gather... “higher criticism” concerns itself with the resultant problems of age, authorship, sources, simple or composite character, historical worth, relation to period of origin, etc .... “higher criticism” - while invaluable as an aid in the domain of Bib. introduction (date, authorship, genuineness, contents, destination, etc.), manifestly tends to widen out illimitably into regions where exact science cannot follow it, where, often, the critic’s imagination is his only law.¹

1             James Orr, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago: The Howard Severance Company, 1915), II, p. 749.

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