New testament criticism

New Testament criticism is a field of study that involves analyzing and interpreting the texts of the New Testament from a critical perspective. This field is concerned with understanding the historical and cultural context of the New Testament, as well as the literary and theological themes that are present in the texts.

There are several approaches to New Testament criticism, including:

  1. Historical-critical method: This approach involves analyzing the New Testament texts in their historical and cultural context, in order to understand the events and people that are described in the texts.
  2. Literary-critical method: This approach involves analyzing the New Testament texts as literary works, in order to understand their structure, style, and themes.
  3. Theological-critical method: This approach involves analyzing the New Testament texts from a theological perspective, in order to understand the theological themes and ideas that are present in the texts.
  4. Socio-rhetorical method: This approach involves analyzing the New Testament texts from a socio-rhetorical perspective, in order to understand the social and rhetorical contexts in which the texts were written.

Some of the key issues that are addressed in New Testament criticism include:

  1. The authorship and composition of the New Testament texts: Who wrote the New Testament texts, and how were they composed?
  2. The historical accuracy of the New Testament accounts: How accurate are the historical accounts of Jesus and the early Christian church that are presented in the New Testament?
  3. The theological themes and ideas of the New Testament: What are the key theological themes and ideas that are present in the New Testament, and how do they relate to each other?
  4. The relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament: How do the New Testament texts relate to the Old Testament, and what light do they shed on each other?

Some of the key scholars who have contributed to the field of New Testament criticism include:

  1. Friedrich Schleiermacher: A German theologian who is considered one of the founders of modern New Testament criticism.
  2. David Friedrich Strauss: A German theologian who is known for his critical analysis of the New Testament accounts of Jesus.
  3. Albert Schweitzer: A German theologian who is known for his critical analysis of the New Testament accounts of Jesus and the early Christian church.
  4. Rudolf Bultmann: A German theologian who is known for his critical analysis of the New Testament texts and his development of the "demythologization" of Christianity.
  5. N.T. Wright: A British theologian who is known for his critical analysis of the New Testament texts and his development of a "new perspective" on Pauline theology.

Some of the key books that have been written on New Testament criticism include:

  1. "The Life of Jesus" by David Friedrich Strauss: A critical analysis of the New Testament accounts of Jesus.
  2. "The Quest of the Historical Jesus" by Albert Schweitzer: A critical analysis of the New Testament accounts of Jesus and the early Christian church.
  3. "The New Testament and Mythology" by Rudolf Bultmann: A critical analysis of the New Testament texts and their relationship to mythology.
  4. "The New Perspective on Paul" by N.T. Wright: A critical analysis of Pauline theology and its relationship to the New Testament.
  5. "The Historical Jesus" by John Dominic Crossan: A critical analysis of the New Testament accounts of Jesus and their relationship to the historical Jesus.

Some of the key journals that publish articles on New Testament criticism include:

  1. Journal of Biblical Literature
  2. New Testament Studies
  3. Journal of Theological Studies
  4. Harvard Theological Review
  5. Journal of Early Christian Studies

Some of the key conferences that are related to New Testament criticism include:

  1. The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) annual meeting
  2. The International Congress on Biblical Studies (ICBS) biennial meeting
  3. The European Association of Biblical Studies (EABS) biennial meeting
  4. The North American Patristics Society (NAPS) annual meeting
  5. The International Conference on the History of the New Testament (ICHNT) biennial meeting.