medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Good day, eh?
Dennis wrote:
> Both [internal and external evidence] are susceptible to the biases of
> the scholar doing the sifting and interpreting. And 19thc Markan priority
> and 20thc dating schemas all have a locus in time and space, within this
> or that sectarian, ideological framework. If historical-critical method
can be
> legitimately applied to first and second-century documents then turnabout
> is fair play--taking into account the prejudices and biases of 19thc and
> 20thc German and Anglo-American biblical scholarship as these circiles
> themselves try to take account of the biases and prejudices and
> assumptions of the "early fathers" who wrote about the order of the
> writing of the gospels and distinguished canonical from non-canonical
> Scripture. I find it amusing that modern scholars somehow get their
> knickers in a knot when their locus in time and space and confession and
> sect (and the modern university is a very sectarian place, whether
> postmodern, Marxist, Enlightenment or whatever) is taken into account as a
> way of relativizing the "objecitivity" and probative force of their
> "consensus" abou this or that explanatory model.
In the third quarter of the XX when I did my seminary studies
there was hardly a verse in the New Testament unchallenged
as to authorship, authenticity, and age. This applied especially
to the gospels, which were exceedingly sliced and diced. Thus
anyone on the list with access to a half- or even quarter-decent
library should be able to find a book, article or dissertation "proving"
whatever one wishes proved in regard to any portion of or the
entirity of any of the gospels. To my mind, this welter of cross-
proofs, disproofs (in at least a couple cases, spoofs), and proofs
raises serious questions concerning the whole XX exercise. If
by using its methods one may "prove" whatever one wishes,
does that not indicate the method is itself somewhat suspect?
Please don't take my word for it. Try it yourself. Pick any
of the popular books of that era questioning the authorship
and authenticity of a gospel. Write out the principles the
author applies. Apply those principles to his own book. The
results may amuse you.
Boy, am I a long way from 1530 Augsburg!
Regards to all,
Frank
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