Biblical Criticism on Trial: How Scientific Is Scientific Theology? [Paperback]

Eta Linnemann (Author), Robert W. Yarbrough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2001

A former liberal scholar puts modern biblical criticism on trial—detailing how biblical critics often hold to biases rather than fact. First English edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In the academic community, the confirmed results of scientific investigation are considered the touchstone of intellectual inquiry. Indeed, society at large has come to respect all claims offered under the rubric of “science.” As a “scientific theology,” the historical-critical method has come to dominate the field of biblical criticism in Germany and is championed in seminaries and universities around the world.

In this first English language edition, author Eta Linnemann challenges the root assumption of this theology, its claim to be “scientific.” To the contrary, she finds that “what goes unnoticed is that many of these ‘results’ are nothing more than unproven hypotheses that are trumpeted to be facts. . . .” (from the Preface).

The book examines and refutes a variety of claims and questions including:

• Was there a source or “Q” document from which the Synoptic Gospels were copied?
• Did Paul actually write all the Epistles attributed to him?
• How much credibility should Christian give to “proofs” that numerous New Testament books were written long after the apostles died?
• Why is there so much difference in New Testament vocabulary and grammatical structure?

Eta Linnemann taught New Testament at Philipps University, Marburg, West Germany until her personal spiritual crisis and conversion. Later she became a missionary teacher of native pastors at a Bible institute in Batu, Indonesia. She lectures on historical-critical theology throughout Europe and North America.

About the Author

Robert W. Yarbrough (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is chair of the New Testament department and associate professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has edited, authored, coauthored, or translated several books, including three by Eta Linnemann and a biography of Adolf Schlatter. He has also contributed articles on Schlatter to reference works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Academic & Professional; 2001 edition (November 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825430887
• ISBN-13: 978-0825430886
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful debunking of the field of New Testament textual criticism., August 7, 2008

By 

Frank A. Ray (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biblical Criticism on Trial: How Scientific Is Scientific Theology? (Paperback)

Modern textual criticism of the New Testament purports to be scientific. It is however, as Linnemann clearly demonstrates, at best merely informed opinion about how the New Testament possibly may have been transmitted in early Christian communities, and eventually written down to comprise the many books that are part of the Bible.

There is no evidence that there ever existed a "Gospel Q" or a "Sayings Source Gospel" - no single fragment of a surviving text (of which there are thousands of specimens for the books of the New Testament). There is not a single reference to these hypothetical original Christian works from any of the early Christian writers of the age, including Paul the Apostle who surely would have knowledge of these very early sources. Linnemann clearly lays out these arguments, but goes a step further, presenting a statistical comparative analysis of the contents of the Synoptic Gospels, which demonstrates the improbability of the Synoptics being copied from earlier common sources.

Biblical textual criticism is really selling snake oil. It's nice to see someone point that out in a straightforward manner. This is a wonderful and fast read for anyone interested in the New Testament and early Christianity - regardless of religious beliefs.