OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY
THE JESUS SEMINAR
(Westar Institute)
VS.
British-influenced evangelical critical scholarships
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IDEOLOGICAL & METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO DETERMINING VERACITY OF GOSPELS
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Jesus Seminar Westar Institute |
British-trained evangelical critical scholars |
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2/4 Source Hypothesis |
2/4 Source Hypothesis |
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form criticism |
form criticism |
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redaction criticism |
redaction criticism |
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criteria of authenticity tradition criticism |
criteria of authenticity tradition criticism |
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post-modernistic historiography |
post-modernistic historiography |
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ATOMISTIC (parts) approach:
centers on Jesus’ sayings
what did Jesus really say?
*IMPORTANT: also focuses on what Jesus did
Robert Funk: Acts of Jesus (1998) |
HOLISTIC (whole) approach:
centers on Jesus’ deeds & events
what did Jesus really do?
investigates predetermined key events in Jesus’ life to see if the event is post-modernistically verifiable in terms of history
IMPORTANT: considers many events not verifiable historically using post-modernistic historiography |
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BURDEN OF PROOF:
shifted to The Jesus Seminar scholars to demonstrate reliability:
“The Seminar has accordingly assumed the burden of proof: the Seminar is investigating in minute detail the data preserved by the gospels and is also identifying those that have some claim to historical veracity” |
BURDEN OF PROOF:
shifted to the evangelical-critical scholars historical skills in applying criteria of authenticity “burden of proof should lie with historian who is making the case, whether for authenticity or against it” (Key Events, 74) |
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“whisper of his voice”
contained in gospels
posits Christ of faith vs. historical Jesus |
“footprints” of Jesus
contained in gospels
posits Christ of faith vs. historical Jesus |
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Color-coding of Jesus-sayings
in terms of red, black, gray, white that indicates probability of whether the real Jesus actually spoke the saying
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probability scaling of Jesus’ events
“probability,” “possibility” or historically non-veryifyable scale for pericopes as to whether Jesus; deeds or events surrounding Jesus happened or did not happen
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RESULT:
15 SAYINGS DEEMED AUTHENTIC
out hundreds of sayings in the Gospels RESULT: COMPLETELY REJECTS any assertions of “probability” from evangelical critical scholarship! score = 0 i.e. neither convinces the other |
RESULT:
12 EVENTS DEEMED HISTORICALLY “PROBABLE”
out of hundreds of acts/deeds in the Gospels RESULT: REJECTS many assertions from The Westar Institute! score = 0 i.e. neither convinces the other |