What is Biblical Criticism? Does it Contradict Faith?

This video introduces the field of biblical criticism and argues that there is no reason why faith needs to fear the results of scholarly criticism of biblical texts. I look at two examples to demonstrate "higher" and "lower" forms of criticism: Pauline authorship and the destruction of Canaan in Joshua 10.
Recommended reading:
Peter Enns' books: "The Bible Tells Me So" amzn.to/3sNPgM6
"How the Bible Actually Works" amzn.to/461TXjI
New Oxford Annotated Bible: amzn.to/47YADpH
The "Discovering Biblical Texts" series: amzn.to/45HnNKG
Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible: amzn.to/3sKrW23

[@redeemedzoomer6053]

While I'm not sure exactly what I think of the Canaanite conquest, this video was still helpful. Thanks!

[@StephenDMorrison]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@TempehLiberation]

Thanks for this video. really well explained!

[@lukestringer6592]

Love your work on this channel! If you do follow-up on this video, I feel like a deep dive on the histories and relationships between different areas of minoritized criticism could be fascinating!

[@StephenDMorrison]

Thanks for the kind words! Good idea for a follow up. Biblical scholarship isn't something I am an expert in. My specialty tends to be systematic and historical theology, so even this video feels a bit stretching for me. But it is something I have wanted to learn more about, so something like that would be fascinating. Thanks!

[@kettei7743]

Thank u for this video, I hope you are doing well

[@StephenDMorrison]

Thanks for the comment, and yes, I am!

[@jackiestone6610]

I deconstructed 38 years ago from my fundermentalist penticostal church community, which was homophobic in culture at the time. I returned to the world of faith, in an older and wiser place, and am surveying the Christian cultural landscape, and you are helping me in that process.
I think that grappling with faith is extremely important. Philippians 2:12-13 reads: “......work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Science I now see as a Godly pursuit because it seeks truth , but it is limited when the wisdom and guidance of the bible is removed. So, the combination of the two is a powerful tool of enlightenment.
My major concern now is the lack of love and respect and devisiveness spirit that exists in the faith communities . I am right. You are wrong. In science, there is a basic methodology that makes the science valid. There is also the idea of contributing your finding to a wider scientific community, along with respect for science itself. I think the Christian cannot gain the insights of the word until they learn to love each other across the current partisan of universalism and fundermentalist divide.
Aproaching the text from our different theological, denominational perspective forces us to deal with our current day issues of division and self righteousness. Our lack of love for each other, our anger, is what God sees. When we approach the world from this standpoint, are findings are conteminated.
My experiment is to attend a church that is likely becoming universal and a fundermentalist evangelical , and to love both across the divide . This will allow me to understand the dynamic nature of the bible and reach my own conclusion.

[@andrewjones4006]

Great video. Just read D F Straus on the life of Jesus. Very good book but strangely it didn’t undermine my faith in any way. Quite the opposite in fact. Now reading a book by F C Beiser on Straus. Perhaps you could do a video on Straus.