RELIGION 155 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Hans Conzelmann, Redaction Criticism, Marcan Priority
18 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Rel 155: The New Testament: 27 September 2016
Class 9: What is Redaction Criticism?
1. Review: Source-Criticism
➢ In order to understand Redaction Criticism, it is essential first to understand form-
criticism and source-criticism.
➢ Source-criticism: the study of the literary sources used by the evangelists the
Synoptic Problem.
➢ Dominant solution: The Two-Source Theory, Markan Priority + Q (i.e. Matthew and
Luke use Mark and Q independently of one another)
➢ Alternatives include Griesbach Hypothesis (Luke uses Matthew; Mark uses both).
➢ And Farrer Theory Markan Priority + Lukes use of Matthew.
➢ Solutions to the Synoptic Problem are a major presupposition when doing the work
of redaction criticism which we will investigate today.
2. Redaction Criticism: Definition & Focus
Definition: Redaction Criticism is the study of the way in which the evangelists (=
redactors molded their source material, with a view to discovering their literary and
theological agendas
Aim of redaction-criticism: to discover the evangelists agendas, and to learn more
about the communities from which they came.
➢ Why did they include the traditions they included?
➢ Why did they mould their traditions in the ways they did?
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
2
➢ Why did they add, omit and change what they did?
➢ What can we know about them and their communities?
Focus of redaction-criticism: the evangelists and their communities.
Heyday of redaction-criticism: 1950s present
➢ Although it is still popular, especially with scholars who are interested in history,
it is partly superseded by other forms of literary criticism, e.g. narrative-
criticism.
Pioneers and their key works were:
➢ Hans Conzelmann, Die Mitte der Zeit: Studien zur Theologie des Lukas (Tübingen: J. C.
B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1954), ET, The Theology of St Luke (New York: Harper & Bros,
1960):
➢ Conzelmann used redaction-criticism to argue that Luke replaced the cross-
focused-eschatological-kerygma of his predecessors with a salvation-historical
viewpoint where there is no theology of the cross, and the end is no longer
imminent
➢ Willi Marxsen, Der Evangelist Markus – Studien zur Redaktionsgeschichte des
Evangeliums (1956), ET: Mark the Evangelist: Studies on the Redaction History of the
Gospel (Nashville: Abingon, 1969)
➢ Focused on Marks distinctive obsession with Galilee.
➢ Gunther Bornkamm on The Stilling of the Storm in Matthew, ET 9 he saw it
as a parable of the Matthean communitys struggles.
3. Redaction Criticism: Presuppositions
➢ Acceptance of the role played by form-criticism, but partly a reaction against it.
Since the focus was now on the evangelists rather than on the traditions, the creative
role of the evangelists was inevitably stressed more clearly.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
3
o Redaction criticism moves the focus from the pearls on the string to the way
that the evangelists arranged their pearls and crafted the necklace.
➢ Acceptance of the conclusions of source-criticism:
o Nearly all redaction-critics have worked with the Two-Source Theory and it
is often thought that the success of redaction-critical work on the Gospels
assuming the 2ST thereby confirms the validity of the 2ST (an argument that
is in fact dangerously circular).
4. What’s Right with Redaction Criticism?
➢ Helps the interpreter to see what is distinctive about each Gospel.
➢ Sometimes this is a matter of looking at repeated features:
o Repeated feature in Mark: elements of secrecy (next time).
o Repeated feature in Matthew: quotations from Scripture, This happened in
order to fulfil . . .
o Repeated feature in Luke: eschatological reversal the rich and powerful
brought low, the poor and humble lifited up.
➢ Sometimes this is about looking at key structuring elements:
o Matthews five big discourses Matt. -7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25).
o Marks Way of the Lord
o Lukes stress on plausible, biographical sequence.
➢ For Matthew and Luke, the scholar can also look at use of sources:
o How do Matthew and Luke change (add to / omit from) Mark?
o How do Matthew and Luke change Q (Two-Source Theory) or how does
Luke change Matthew (Farrer Theory)?
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Rel 155: the new testament: 27 september 2016. Class 9: what is redaction criticism: review: source-criticism. In order to understand redaction criticism, it is essential first to understand form- criticism and source-criticism. Source-criticism: the study of the literary sources used by the evangelists (cid:558) the. Dominant solution: the two-source theory, markan priority + q (i. e. matthew and. Luke use mark and q independently of one another) Alternatives include griesbach hypothesis (luke uses matthew; mark uses both). And farrer theory (cid:507)markan priority + luke(cid:514)s use of matthew(cid:508). Solutions to the synoptic problem are a major presupposition when doing the work of redaction criticism which we will investigate today: redaction criticism: definition & focus. Definition: redaction criticism is the study of the way in which the evangelists (= (cid:515)redactors(cid:516)(cid:508) molded their source material, with a view to discovering their literary and theological agendas. Aim of redaction-criticism: to discover the evangelists(cid:514) agendas, and to learn more about the communities from which they came.
