Hi Gordon,
You are probably right. Its a fragmented field.However, I have read several
introductions to the OT and the standard approach seems to be to say that
the some version of the documentary hypothesis(JEDP) is the starting point
for interpretation of the Pentateuch, and the Deuteronomic history
hypothesis similarly for Judges-2 Kings.
See this link for a typical approach to introducing the OT.
http://www.hope.edu/academic/religion/bandstra/RTOT/RTOT.HTM
Also,
http://www.westminster.edu/staff/brennie/tanakh.htm
Similarly , I think the majority of scholars accept the Q hypothesis as the
best answer to the Synoptic problem.Actually, George, Bob, and Phil may be
better sources than me on this question.
I would say that conservatives , who typically subscribe to none of these
approaches, tend to want to say that there is less of a consensus than I
have said.
-----Original Message-----
From: gordon brown [mailto:gbrown@euclid.Colorado.EDU]
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 5:20 PM
To: Shuan Rose
Cc: ASA list
Subject: RE: sciDocument.rtf
Shuan,
I seriously doubt that there is nearly the consensus among Biblical
scholars about the subjects you address as there is among scientists about
continental drift, general relativity, and radiometric dating unless you
restrict scholars to mean only those with a particular view.
Gordon Brown
Department of Mathematics
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0395
On Fri, 5 Jul 2002, Shuan Rose wrote:
> Shuan writes:
> Most scholars disagree. Since I don't know Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or have
> not studied ancient Near East literature, history, or religion, I am going
> to go along with the consensus among scholars who have studied in the
field,
> just as I go along with the scholarly consensus in quantum mechanics,
> geology, paleontology, and other sciences. I have a hard time believing
( or
> even understanding) such concepts as continental drift, general
relativity,
> or radiometric dating, but I believe the experts when they tell me that
> these are valid concepts, well established in their particular fields.
> The scholarly consensus is that the books of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel,
and
> 1-2 Kings comprise a history written during the Exile by a school of
> religious thinkers who interpreted Israel's history from the point of view
> of Deuteronomy. Now, they did not make this history up out of whole cloth,
> as some truly liberal scholars would say. Rather, they collected, combined
> and excerpted from the various historical sources available to them,
notably
> "The Annals of the Kings of Judah". Their intent was to provide an answer
to
> the question of why the Judean monarchy fell, despite the traditional
> promises that Jerusalem would never be taken(Ps. 46)and that YAHWEH would
> never remove this steadfast love from the throne of David ( 2 Sam.
7:8-16).
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Jul 06 2002 - 20:49:32 EDT