What is form criticism?

Answer

Form criticism is a field of biblical studies that views the Bible as a collection of traditional stories and sayings (or “units”) that were orally circulated and later assembled and preserved in writing. Form criticism aims to identify literary patterns in Scripture, separate text units, and trace each unit back to its oral tradition “origin.” The form critic dissects a Bible story from its literary context and asks, “What is the literary genre of this unit? What is the background of this unit? How did the story evolve through oral transmission?” Initially focused on the Old Testament, this research field soon became a new perspective for understanding parts of the New Testament. For instance, parallel versions of a parable are scrutinized, variations in wording are observed, and then the form critic draws conclusions about what Jesus actually said and how oral tradition influenced the different written versions.

German scholar Rudolf Bultmann popularized form criticism in the twentieth century, linking it to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. His work, “History of the Synoptic Tradition,” sparked extensive debate on what can be known about Jesus’ oral teachings before they were recorded in the New Testament writings. Bultmann argued that the Bible should be stripped of its miraculous elements, advocating for the “demythologizing” of the gospel to make it relevant to modern society.

Form criticism is favored by scholars who reject the authority and infallibility of Scripture. Consequently, conservative Christians often regard form criticism with suspicion. A significant issue is that many form critics exhibit a bias against the supernatural and dismiss Jesus’ miracles as mere myths. Despite form criticism being used to raise doubts about the Word of God, there are ways in which a literary analysis of Scripture has proven beneficial.

The PPsalms, for instance, encompass various literary forms. Some psalms are laments (e.g., Psalm 142), while others are praise hymns (e.g., Psalm 113). Additionally, some are Messianic (e.g., Psalm 110). Organizing the psalms into groups based on their diverse forms enables students of Scripture to observe similarities and differences, recurring themes, and poetic structures.

Interest in form criticism has diminished in recent years. It has become increasingly clear that there is limited value in ascertaining the “exact” words of Moses, David, or Jesus. After all, who can definitively state that Jesus’ precise words differed from what Matthew documented in his Gospel? Regardless of how scholarly the approach, form criticism involves significant speculation, doubt, and at times, outright disbelief.