Full Text for The End of the Historical-Critical Method (Text)
THE SPRINGFIELDER October 1974 Volume 38, Number 4 A Review Article The End of the Historical-Critical Method W HEN RIODERN 'THEOLOGY iiDOPTED the historical- critical methodology as its nzodus operalzdi in Scriptural study, it uncluestionably paid the price. It was thenceforth riding the tiger's back, with the danger of ending up inside. If cleverness with the text was to be the magical. formula, then let the sorcerer beware of his apprentice! It was capable of becoming the Frankenstein nlonster that turns on its creator. A notable little book has recently appeared in Germany which spells out these facts and then concludes with the flat judgment that the jig is up. Das I<~zdc der historisch-hritische~z Methode (Theol. Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, 1974, DRI 9.80, 95 pages) is the title Gerhard R4aier ventures to give his book-ventures, we say, because he dares thereby to take on a virtual army of opponents. His is a notable effort because it originates from a rather unlikely quarter in German theology, but one which, for that reason, cannot be I regarded lightly. 'CVith an earned doctorate in theology, G. Maier is part and parcel of Peter Beyerhaus' Albrecht-Bengel-Haus in Tue- bingen, a theological school with about 80 students. Beyerhaus is the Rehtor, or president, of the University of Tuebingen. Accord- ingly, what Maier is saying here is bound to get a wide hearing. Since that is not likely to come quickly on our shores, unless the book is translated, we shall try to recapitulate its content and chief accents hcrc at some length, elaborating freely here and there. The author has very relevant, tranchant judgments to render against a methodology that has troubled the theollogical waters for a long time-perhaps for too long a time! The church needs finally to leave this subject and move on with its God-mandated task of evangelizing the world. Maybe it can do so, once it again moves with assurance and confidence concerning the Biblical Word. R4aier compresses a wealth of material into a small package. But small packages sometimes bear big, valuable gems. In order to spell out plainly the basis for claiming "the end of the historical-critical method," Maier traces back in history-at least for our modern times-where the attack .on Scripture's integrity and divine character began. Johann Salon10 Semler's judgment on Holy Scripture, that it was to be dealt .with like any other book, marked the onset of an almost uninterrupted two-hundred-year chain of irrational attacks against and charges of. contradictions in the Holy Scriptures. The end result, states Maier, has been a general malaise, if not total break-down, in Christian theology. Working with historical-criticism's presuppositions, chiefly its anti-supernakiral stance aid the uncritical acceptance of extra-Biblical materials, it was inevitable that this method should have devastated the Bible's own witness. It cvas inevitable, granted the presuppositions, which denied the supernatural nature of the Biblical text and threw open the whole question of its aut11or.ity and meaning. With such ;I stance the location of the Wrord of God itself was ope11 and free: Where was it to be found? How was it to 11e Ian of years since Semler's day. The conclusion was startling: the practitioners themselves ]lad presided over historical-critical meth- odology's burial. Among the exegetes were H. Strathmann, N7. G. Itul:c 2nd tradition is not troublesolne as 1011~ as the iatte~: is not in any instance sct above the former. There ;Ire .c:alid ilscs 311d f~ulctions which t1:adition has served in thc church from the tinic of thc apostles onward. blartin Cllemnitz devotes a ~11olc section, l~~autiful~y clear, to this subject in the first part of his Exnvzilzntiosr oj: tlze Cou~zcil of Tren~ (translated b!- F. Ihamer, St. T.,ouis: Con.co~tiia Publishj~~g Flouse, 197 1, j?p, 2 19-307 ). In fact, this early traditioil suffers a serious cliniinishing in rightful im- portance ~vl~en later (official) "Tradition" is placed on the same level and received with reverence equal to that accorded the Scriptures. This is nillat- the I'lomnn Chu~.ch did at '1-rent. Only the Scriptures are ialfalliblc, anti all C~onfcssio~~s, as also tl.aditions? arc to be measurcd by it. hluch the saillc applies in the ]:elation between Scripture and histor\;. \Tihjlc. Scripture, as God's revelation, is history-oriented, it is not 'his torv-domina ted; it reflects l~istory ~vithout error and does not depend for its validity upon the iudg~nents of historical methodology, favorable or onfa~~orabie. ?'his is not to sav that Scripture moves in a detached, a-historical realm all its own:'but it is to say that the SCI-iptura'l csegete, in 1istcnin.g to 110th voices, Scripture anti history, lends an obedient ear in that order, giving precedence to Scripture. History and historians may deal with Christian'ity as one religion among others, even give it precedence over others. Rut tllc fact is that it stands apart fro111 each and every world religion, as surely as the natural is superseded by the supernatural. Natul-a1 religions ill every case lack the special which God gives only through the Scriptural \Word. As a result, they not: only are totally devoid of credentials, but they also fail to ~vitncss in any way to the grace of God in Christ Jesus who alone brings salvation. The veil is drawn before their eyes, a veil which is pulled ;)way onlv by Christ and faith in Him (2 Cor. 3: 14ff.). Only an arbitrary myopia of the narro\vest l. T~ltcrVnrsit) I'rcss, Do~vncrs Gro\-c, IlJi~~ois, 1973. 96 pages. Paper. $1.50. !\\'o I'c,OpZ(,. Iiy Francis A. ,sc'l~;icffcr. Ilitcrvarsily prcss, L)o\\.~icrs Groic,, llli~iois, 1971. 271 pages. 1';1pcr. $1.50. I: tlrlcotioilcrl ItZcnlc ill the ilircicn t World. By Willin111 li:nrclay. 13;11;c.r J3ool; I-Iotisc. Grn~icl llnpitls, Rlicl~iga~l, 1974. 288 p;lgcs. Paper. $3.05. /\t tlrc Ciosc. l?!. Clinrlcs I..udn.iz. M7:irncr Press/Pul~lislicrs. ilnderson, Intli:~nn. 1974. 96 pagrs. Pi~l'cr. $1.50. Iloir. to Sfn). l'o7trrgo. 'iVl~ilc (.;ru7i>iilg Olrlcr. 1Jy l'ic~ic! T,. l-Io\\ tr. Wort1 I3ooli 1'1111lishers. \V;leo, 'I'esas. 1974 168 pngcs. <:loth. '35.95. 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