Old Testament Introduction Lesson 1 Section 1

8/4/2019 Old Testament Introduction Lesson 1 Section 1

1/24

Old Testament IntroductionSouthern Methodist College

Bi 521, Fall 2011

Visiting Lecturer in

Old Testament Studies

Dr. David M. Battle


2/24

Old Testament IntroductionA survey of the Old Testament text,

authorship, and its canonical development.

Special emphasis will be devoted to the

destructive nature of higher critical theories.


3/24

Old Testament Introduction

Three Emphases

as divine revelation to humanity.

as a collection of human assertions

about God.

as a reflection of humanitysstruggle with God.


4/24

Objections to OT as Revelation

The Moral Objection:

The Theodicy Objection:

The Scientific/

Philosophical/ Mythological

Objection:


5/24

Hermeneutical PeriodsAncient Hermeneutics

Modern Hermeneutics

Post-Modern Hermeneutics


6/24

Ancient HermeneuticsAntioch: Typological InterpretationPlain reading meaningful

ChristologicalOrigen (Alexandrian School): Allegorical

Body:

Plain reading

Soul:Moral teaching

Spiritual:

Spiritual teaching


7/24

Ancient HermeneuticsThe Medieval Church favored the

Allegorical Hermeneutical Method.

Many devotional writers and early

Protestants favored the Typological

Method.

These methods are theologically based.


8/24

Modern Hermeneutics

Historical-Grammatical:

Historical-Critical Methodologies:

Lower Criticism: Textual AnalysisHigher Literary Criticism:

Source Criticism

Tradition Criticism

Form Criticism

Redaction Criticism

Rhetorical Criticism

Canonical Criticism


9/24

Modern HermeneuticsBasic Approaches

Structuralism:

Diachronic Studies:

Synchronic Studies:


10/24

Modern HermeneuticsCritical Orientation

The modern scholars assert that theautonomous investigator can

discover historical reality by the

systematic use of scientificmethods or critical thought.


11/24

Modern Historical Criticism

Critical Orientation

Not necessarily ancient history

Heavy on historical reconstructions

Of the religious development of Israel.

Of the pre-history of the text.


12/24

Modern HermeneuticsCritical Orientation

Textual:

the text has an intended meaning that can be

known in its various stages of development.

Meaning can be found by the autonomous

scholars who critically studies the texts.


13/24

Post-modern Approaches

Post-modernism denies scholarships ability

to know historical realities with anycertainty.


14/24

Post-modern MethodsReader Response Criticism

Ideological CriticismFeminist Criticism

Liberation Theologies

Psychoanalytic CriticismCanonical Imagination


15/24

Post-modern AgendasThe reader appeals to the cultural authority

of the text to advocate for an ideology.

The reader deconstructs the rationality of the text

in order to undermine a perceived oppressive

authority within the text.


16/24

SummaryAllegorical and Typological methods seek

to transmit the teachings of the Church

through the Old Testament.

Critical Methodologies seeks to free itself

from Church dogma by analyzing the text to

discover its historical origins.

Post-Modern seek to use the text to overturn

or support a given ideology.


17/24

ConclusionThe great divined in Biblical Scholarship isbetween those who accept the Bible as

divine revelation and those who reject it.Merely a human book.

Free Spirit

Canonical Revelation


18/24

Bible as Merely Human BookThere is great diversity of thought, but most would

agree that the Bible is a collection of works that

reflect the theological assertions of various men.Maximalists: Grant the biblical text a high degree of

historicity.

Minimalist: Grant the biblical text little historicity.

Both approach the Bible as primarily a human book.


19/24

Bible as Canonical RevelationPre-critical position: The Bible is the rule

for faith and practice.

Allegorical

Typological (Christological)

Historical Grammatical


20/24

Bible as Canonical RevelationResponse to critical scholarship: The Bible is theinerrant word of God.

Historical Literary HermeneuticsAccepts the canonical claims of the Faith

Accepts the historical claims of the text.

Interprets within the given historical context.

Interprets according to the literary genres of the various

contexts.Interprets according to grammar.

The text has an intentional meaning that can be known.


21/24

Concluding RemarksThe Christian scholar will never be

in tune with his contemporaries.He must affirm the authority ofScripture.

While conducting sound andaccurate studies.


22/24

The Christian Scholar and Ancient

ScholarshipAgreement:

We work for the good of the Christian Church.

We affirm the doctrines of the faith as delivered

by the Apostles and Canonical Prophets.

Disagreement:

The institutional church is not the final arbiter

of truth.

We cannot neglect the plain reading of the text.


23/24

The Christian Scholar and

Modern ScholarshipAgreement:

The text has an intended message.

Disagreement:

Naturalism

Speculative reconstructions


24/24

The Christian Scholar and

Post-modern ScholarshipAgreement:

Emphasis on the existent text.The text is meant to be applied.

Disagreement:

Truth is not founded in community.

Human centrism

Old Testament Introduction Lesson 1 Section 1

Documents

Transcript of Old Testament Introduction Lesson 1 Section 1