Historical Criticism: Origins and Analysis

• Historical Criticism examines the origins of the earliest text.
• It appreciates the underlying circumstances upon which the text originated.

Goals of Historical Criticism

• Discovering the original meaning of the text in its primitive or historical context.
• Discovering its literal sense or sensus literalis historicus.
• Constructing the historical situation of the author and recipients of the text.
• Historical criticism includes external criticism and internal criticism.
• Historical criticism originates in during the Protestant Reformation in the 17th century
• It gained recognition in the 19th and 20th centuries

Methodologies of Historical Criticism

• Source Criticism analyzes the sources used by biblical authors.
• Form Criticism seeks to determine a unit's original form and historical context in literary tradition.
• Redaction Criticism considers the author of the text as the editor of source materials.
• Tradition Criticism attempts to trace the developmental stages of the oral tradition from its emergence to its literary presentation.
• Canonical Criticism focuses on the interpretation of the bible on the text of biblical canon.

Parts of Historical Criticism

• External criticism determines the authenticity of the source, which can be tested in two ways.
• Paleographical analysis involves deciphering and dating historical manuscripts.
• Diplomatic Criticism involves critical analysis of historical documents.
• It aids to understand how the document originated, how the information was transmitted, and the relationship between the facts and reality.
• Internal Criticism focuses on determining the historicity of the facts contained in the document.
• Proving the authenticity of the material or document is not necessary.

Test of Authenticity

• Historians utilize tests common in police and legal detection to distinguish a hoax or misrepresentation from a genuine document.

Best Guess of the Date of the Document

• Examiners assesses the document's materials for anachronisms.
• Examiners look at the inks for signs of age or anachronistic chemical composition.

Best Guess of the Possible Author of the Document

• Examiners determine if the handwriting can be compared with authenticated specimens, even if unfamiliar

Techniques Used by Historians

• Isography involves using a series of photographs that depict the same scene from different angles at different times.
• Paleography and diplomatics involves studying ancient or antiquated writings and inscriptions.
• It includes deciphering and interpreting historical writing systems and manuscripts.
• Sigillography involves studying seals, especially those used to authenticate documents.
• Anachronistic styles are detectable by specialists familiar with contemporary writing.
• Anachronistic references to events involves dating a document when the alleged writer could not have been at the designated place, uncovering fraud.

Explore Historical Criticism: its origins, goals, and methodologies. Understand the historical context, literal sense, and authorial intent. Learn about Source, Form, Redaction and Tradition Criticism.