Canonical criticism

A portion of the Leningrad Codex. Although the Hebrew Bible is the result of a developmental process, canonical criticism focuses on the final form of the text.

Canonical criticism, sometimes called canon criticism or the canonical approach, is a way of interpreting the Bible that focuses on the text of the biblical canon itself as a finished product.

Brevard Childs (1923–2007) popularised this approach, though he personally rejected the term.[1][2] Whereas other types of biblical criticism focus on the origins, structure and history of texts, canonical criticism looks at the meaning which the overall text, in its final form, has for the community which uses it.

  1. ^ Childs, Brevard Springs (1979). Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (reprint ed.). Fortress Press. p. 82-83. ISBN 9780800605322. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Childs1978 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).