The Old Testament and Criticism

<p>Although many conservative scholars have had reservations about biblical criticism since its rise a century ago Carl Armerding contends that critical rationalism need not be antithetical to belief in a divinely inspired Word of God. Indeed says Armerding the evangelical scholar - mediating the traditional conservative view and the rational critical view of Scripture - is able to use all the tools of historical philological and literary study while still retaining biblical categories of revelation inspiration and history.</p><p></p><p>Armerding applies this synthesis of approaches - the traditional and the critical - to four major branches of criticism: literary (or source) criticism form criticism structural analysis and textual criticism. Cautioning against misuse of these critical methods he demonstrates how each method can be conscientiously used by faithful scholars to enrich their understanding of the Old Testament text. Of great value to scholars students and pastors Armerding's work promises to enrich study of the Old Testament much as George Eldon Ladd's book (<em>The New Testament and Criticism</em>) has enriched study of the New.</p>