Re: [asa] JDEP

In a message dated 8/31/2006 2:03:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
bdffoster@charter.net writes:
My latest read is "Who Wrote the Bible" by R. E. Friedman. It covers the
JDEP, or documentary theory of Old Testament authorship. I'm curious what the
folks around here think about the theory in general and this book/author if anyone
is familiar. I havn't read much in the genre of biblical scolarship. I've
read some books by F. F. Bruce but that's about it. I'm struck by the difference
in the degree of proof or evidence that appears to be required to support a
theory in the in the realm of theology vs. science. Friedman seems to draw
conclusions with amazing certainty from information in the text that may only seem
to suggest a certain inferrence. But I do see a similarity of methodology with
science. I think critics of JDEP can rightly say that much is based on the
assumption that fullfilled prophesy is out of the question. In other words if an
author is aware of an event that happened at a certain time, then the text
must have been written after that time. But is this not just methodoligical
naturalism? Or is it philosophical naturalism?

Here's what AIG had to say about JDEP, in the concluding remarks from one of
their online articles:

"On the other hand there is no historical evidence, and no spiritual or
theological basis whatsoever for the deceptive JEDP hypothesis. Its teaching is
completely false; the ‘scholarship’ that promotes it is totally spurious.
Propped up by the theory of evolution, it exists solely to undermine the authority
of the Word of God."

Whatever problems we may have with JDEP it's just wrong to say that there is
no evidence or any basis at all for it. This is the same load of garbage they
write about every theory they don't like.

Brent
Hi Brent,

JDEP simply posits a number of strains in the bible and suggests that the
original texts were updated to reflect newer realites by different groups, each
group's contribution having recognizable characteristics that identify it. If
you're willing to consider a JDEP multilayered text rather than one author via
revelation the best and latest out now is Finkelstein and Silberman's The
Bible Unearthed. It compares the written text with the archeological record rather
than simply a literary analysis. I recommend it highly and also another
volume by the ANE historian Mario Liverani, Israel's History and the History of
Israel.

rich faussette

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Received on Thu Aug 31 17:44:50 2006