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Form criticism as a method of biblical criticism classifies units of scripture by literary pattern and then attempts to trace each type to its period of oral transmission.[1][failed verification] "Form criticism is the endeavor to get behind the written sources of the Bible to the period of oral tradition, and to isolate the oral forms that went into the written sources. Insofar as this attempts to trace the history of the tradition, it is known as tradition criticism."[2] Form criticism seeks to determine a unit's original form and the historical context of the literary tradition.[1]
Hermann Gunkel (1862–1932), Martin Noth, Gerhard von Rad, and other scholars originally developed form criticism for Old Testament studies; they used it to supplement the documentary hypothesis with reference to its oral foundations.[3] Karl Ludwig Schmidt, Martin Dibelius (1883–1947) and Rudolf Bultmann later applied form criticism to the Gospels.
While enjoying near-dominant support in both Old and New Testament studies during the 20th century, form criticism has been the subject of increasing criticism in the academic community in recent decades and its influence on the field is waning.
- ^ a b "form criticism." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2 Dec. 2007 read online
- ^ Erickson, Millard (1998). Christian Theology (Second ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. p. 113.
- ^ Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005