Biblical Criticism and Christian Faith

Question 1

Historical Criticism

Answer 1

Its aim is to determine the authorship, date, and historical background of the biblical books and establishing and interpreting what actually occurred historically.

Question 2

Source Criticism

Answer 2

The effort to determine the various written sources upon which the books of the Bible are based or from which they derive.

-Q Hypothesis

Question 3

Form Criticism

Answer 3

• Determins the oral prehistory of written documents or sources and then classifying that material according to certain “categories” or “forms”.
• To get behind the written sources of the Bible to the period of oral tradition, and to isolate the oral forms that went into the written sources.

Question 4

Redaction Criticism

Answer 4

It is a study of the activity of the biblical authors in shaping, modifying, or even creating material for the final product which they wrote.

• Doing this enables us to appreciate why the evangelists introduced certain changes into their Gospels.
• Helps us to focus on the community for which each Evangelist wrote.

Question 5

Mark’s Gospel

Answer 5

Mark’s concern with the passion of Jesus and its significance for Christian discipleship

Mark 10:45

Question 6

Luke’s Gospel

Answer 6

Emphasizes the universality of the Gospel, and how Jesus came to seek out and save the lost.

Question 7

Matthew’s Gospel

Answer 7

Has the appearance of a teaching manual for a Jewish Christian community to demonstrate that jesus is the royal Davidic Messiah.

Question 8

John’s Gospel

Answer 8

the “Eternal Christ”