Paul Clark

PART ONE: HOW DO WE KNOW?

The first asks how we can know. I start with problems with the text, in particular the fact that we don’t have an original text of any part of the Bible. Rather we have families of texts that have significant differences between them.

I then look at the growth of historical-critical scholarship, which focuses on historical context and the intentions of the authors. I examine the academic toolkit: textual analysis, linguistic analysis, archaeology and other historical sources.

Click here for Part One

PART TWO: THE OLD TESTAMENT

The second post looks at the core mythical and historical books of the Old Testament, and the clues that led scholars to the view that different and often contradictory texts have been woven together to create the books we have today. I examine the Documentary Hypothesis that dominated scholarship until recently, but which is widely regarded as an oversimplification today.

I also look at how recent scholarship suggests that large parts of the Old Testament were written before the development of monotheism. The authors were henotheists: they accepted that there were other gods but insisted that the Israelites had a covenant with Yahweh and must only worship him.

Click here for Part Two

PART THREE: THE GOSPELS

The third post considers the authorship of the gospels and the reasons why most scholars don’t believe the authors were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, examining both attestation and content.

Most scholars believe the content of the gospels indicates a 35-40-year gap between the crucifixion and the writing of Mark, the earliest gospel. I focus on the science of memory and what this tells us about the reliability of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and his words. Finally, I look at the very different theological agendas of the different writers.

Click here for Part Three