biblical criticism
Analyzing sacred texts
Biblical criticism is the scholarly analysis of the Bible using historical, literary, and textual methods.
It examines questions of authorship, dating, sources, and historical context rather than treating scripture as straightforward divine revelation.
Higher criticism focuses on origins and composition; lower criticism (or textual criticism) compares manuscripts to reconstruct original texts.
The term is neutral among scholars but sometimes carries negative connotations among religious traditionalists who see it as undermining scriptural authority.
- editorial processStages of manuscript improvement
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- manuscriptsHandwritten or typed originals
- SeptuagintGreek translation of Hebrew scriptures
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
demythologization · codices · historiography · harmonization · papyri · epigraphy · cultural anthropology · hermeneutics · canon · New Testament · Old Testament · authorship · Hebrew · prophets · ancient · Torah · textual · documentary
- enlightenmentVoltaire, Rousseau, Locke, Kant, Montesquieu
- Victorian scholarshipphilology, classics, natural history, antiquarianism, classical studies
- religious criticismproblem of evil, theodicy, contradictions, hypocrisy, dogmatism
- scripture studybiblical study, concordance, cross-reference, study Bible, word study
- Victorian TheologyOxford Movement, Tractarianism, Newman, evangelicalism, revivalism
- BibleOld Testament, New Testament, Holy Scriptures, Adam, Moses
biblical criticismdevotional reading
Religious text contemplation