Form criticism

Question 1

Who is form criticism associated with?

Answer 1

German scholar Hermann Gunkel

Question 2

What did Gunkel seek to do?

Answer 2

Analyze biblical literary forms in order to rediscover the history of their development

Question 3

What does form criticism explore?

Answer 3

How various stories from eyewitness (oral) accounts were passed on and shaped in the time period prior to when the books were committed to writing

Question 4

What does form criticism hold that each literary type or genre emerges from?

Answer 4

A specific setting in the life of people

Question 5

What German phrase summarises the idea that the stories emerge out of the specific setting in the life of the people?

Answer 5

Sitz im leben

Question 6

What does sitz im leben translate as?

Answer 6

The situation of the story

Question 7

When did form criticism develop?

Answer 7

In the early 20th century

Question 8

What does form criticism look at?

Answer 8

The form/type of writing in the gospels

Question 9

Who are the two main figures in form criticism

Answer 9

Bultmann and Dibellius

Question 10

What did Bultmann and Dibellius argue about the material used for the gospels?

Answer 10

That it came from oral traditions and was copied into existing forms of literature

Question 11

Why do Bultmann and Dibellius argue that form was important?

Answer 11

Because it shows the importance writers placed on the particular teaching/message

Question 12

What did Bultmann and Dibellius suggest about the forms used in the gospels?

Answer 12

It suggested that they were well known, contemporary literary styles - Greek philosophical writings - stories of miracles and wonders by the Gods

Question 13

What does form criticism allow us to conclude about the gospels?

Answer 13

• That they may not be reliable objective accounts of Jesus
• Written for the needs of writers and the early church
  Context of sitz im leben seemed to overtake historical accuracy

Question 14

What does form criticism suggest about the gospels?

Answer 14

That only a fraction of Jesus’ words in the gospels were actually from him. The rest was adapted by the early church to fit its needs

Question 15

Give an example of something from the gospels that was almost definitely not said by Jesus

Answer 15

In Matthew 18:15-22, Jesus talks about church discipline. This is unlikely, as the church did not exist during Jesus’ lifetime

Question 16

What did form critics argue about the gospels?

Answer 16

• They were about spiritual rather than historical truth
• The historical Jesus was not as relevant - even that it didn’t matter to the early church whether he existed
• Writers linked units of parables, sayings, stories and pronoucements according to the needs of the early church

Question 17

What are the 6 accepted categories that biblical writings can be split into?

Answer 17

• Legends and myths
• Parables
• Miracles
• Teachings/pronouncements
• Speeches
• Shorter sayings

Question 18

What are parables in the gospels?

Answer 18

Stories that teach about God and the Kingdom of Heaven

Question 19

Give an example of a miracle in the gospels?

Answer 19

Healings

Question 20

What are teachings/pronouncements in the gospels?

Answer 20

Narratives with an important teaching in their core

Question 21

What are speeches in the gospels?

Answer 21

Lengthy prose

Question 22

Give an example of a speech in the gospels?

Answer 22

The Sermon on the Mount

Question 23

Give some examples of shorter sayings within the gospels?

Answer 23

Prophecies, eschatological warnings and church rules

Question 24

What five categories does Dibellius split biblical writings into?

Answer 24

Paradigms, tales, legends, myths and exhortations

Question 25

Explain Dibellius’ idea of paradigms

Answer 25

These stories are distinguished by the way that they all end with a punch line. Some of them contain narrative, but the key thing is the pithy statement that comes at the end, all other details are secondary. This literary form was common in both Greek and Jewish literature at the time, and provided Christians with memorable slogans to descibe significant aspects of their beliefs

Question 26

Where can we find several examples of paradigms within the gospels?

Answer 26

The early chapters of Mark

Question 27

Explain Dibelius’ idea of tales

Answer 27

He defined these as stories being told for the sake of being a good story, and he included many of the miracle stories in this group. In these stories Jesus’ actions are much more important than his words. Dibelius believes they were the work of professional story tellers in the early church

Question 28

Explain Dibelius’ idea of legends

Answer 28

He picked this term because of its common use in his days to describe stories about the saints, whose main point was the provision of a moral example for others to follow

Question 29

Where can we find examples of legends within the gospels?

Answer 29

Matthew 14:28-33, 16:13-23, 27:3-8 and Luke 2:41-49

Question 30

Explain Dibelius’ idea of myths

Answer 30

These were stories were humans interacted with a spiritual or supernatural world. He included only three gospel stories

Question 31

What three gospel stories did Dibelius class as myths?

Answer 31

Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:9-11 and parallels), temptations (Matthew 4:1-11 and parallel in Luke) and transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8 and parallels)

Question 32

Explain Dibelius idea of exhortations

Answer 32

These are teachings. There are many diverse forms of teaching in the gospels, but since it was all used in the same context in the life of the church (the instruction of converts) Dibelius lumped it all together. The parables and some of the sayings would belong here

Question 33

How did CH Dodd use form criticism?

Answer 33

• He said that it reconstructed the early Christian form of preaching
• He studied the role and purpose of the parables in the church as distinct from Jesus’ ministry. He offered possible contexts and alternate meanings

Question 34

How J Jeremias use FC?

Answer 34

He studies parables, suggesting ways the demands of the church’s mission affected their meaning

Question 35

Make the arguement in favour of FC

Answer 35

• It raised awareness of the common oral traidition that pre-dated the gospels
• The essence of truth is still contained in the gospels, as oral traditions could be accurate
• Emphasises that the gospels are not to be read as historical accounts

Question 36

Make some statements opposing FC

Answer 36

• The oral traditional continued alongside the written gospel, so community needs could affect a later gospel
• The oral tradition may have already grouped certain items together prior to the written account
• Disagreements among form critics on the methods for deciding what is the original material and what are later additions