The word criticism
may have and usually does have in common usage the connotation of
fault-finding or censure. However, in its basic meaning and in the sense in
which it is used in Biblical Criticism it means a discriminating judgment, a
critical and careful examination. Biblical Criticism is divided into two
fields, usually known as Lower and Higher Criticism. Eichhorn is believed to
have coined the expression, Higher Criticism: higher, not in the sense
of being superior to Lower Criticism, but higher in order of procedure, the
Lower coming first logically, followed by the Higher. These two fields would be
better designated by their respective subject matter: the first being Textual
and the second Historical. The purpose of Textual Criticism is to ascertain the
exact text of Scripture, as far as possible, as it existed in the original
writings. The objective of Historical Criticism is to judge from internal
evidence the authorship, date, and historical value of the various books of the
Bible. What is here presented is simply a brief survey of these two fields. The
student should consult books on Biblical Introduction and encyclopedia articles
on the various aspects of Higher Criticism for more detailed information.
PREVIOUS
NEXT
No comments:
Post a Comment