Handbook of Biblical Criticism

by Richard N. Soulen, R. Kendall Soulen

A thoroughly revised comprehensive guide to basic terms & concepts used in biblical criticism. Allowing readers to quickly find & understand related terms to biblical interpreations in general as well as specific method, concepts & the scholarly individuals who've greatly impacted the field.

Genres: Theology, Reference, Biblical Studies, Religion, Christianity

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is handy to have near the desk. I’ve used an older addition when Richard Soulen authored alone to great advantage in the past, but this view, fourth edition, now co-authored with R. Kendall Soulen is even better. Pretty much any term you may encounter in scholarly reading that is obscure to you will be explained succinctly in this book. They cover technical terms, names, tools, and interpretive approaches. I noticed this later edition covers even more interpretive approaches from other parts of the world that you especially might not be familiar with.

For me, the book’s value is in its quick explanation of terms that I just didn’t know. He further helps me in words I’m a little fuzzy on or that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. Even in words I knew well, it was a help to see their careful explanation in a small compass. In cases where the entry warranted, I noticed articles that were longer than in the previous edition.

The entries cover all the bases. Terms about various types of criticism, special grammatical terms, famous biblical texts, scholars who had a major impact in biblical interpretation, and the latest approaches are all covered. Several entries have helpful bibliographies attached.

Again, this is the perfect book to have on hand to grab for that quickly needed explanation while you’re in the middle of other study. I’m glad to have it near and I highly recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every discipline has its own language. It might use English letters; many of the words might even be recognizably English terms; but the terminology will have specific meaning for those within that field or discipline.

And this kind of specific language absolutely exists in the world of Biblical interpretation, as anyone who has ever tried to dive into a more advanced commentary on a book of the Bible knows all too well.

The Soulens have revised and updated their Handbook of Biblical Criticism, 4th Edition (galley received as part of early review program, but full book read halfway through). The goal is to provide explanations of the main characters, schools, and terms within the world of Biblical criticism: the attempt to understand and interpret the Old and New Testaments.

It’s not designed to be a book read cover to cover; instead, it serves more like a dictionary. If one has the tolerance and patience for it, however, there can be benefits to reading it from beginning to end: I’ve come across the terms defined many times, and it was useful to see some of them fully explicated.

The authors come from a more conservative theological and interpretive background, and that will inform the perspective on the explanation of some of the schools of thought, yet they do seek a level of objectivity in describing even those ideas with which they might personally disagree.

This remains a useful resource for Bible students trying to figure out all those German terms and the transliterated Greek terms they find throughout Bible commentaries.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

course text for biblical interpretation. didnt use too much of it

[Michael Luciuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is what it says: a thorough handbook of the basic terms, persons, and methods of Biblical Criticism. Extremely well balanced despite dealing with highly controversial topics, the authors do a magnificent job of covering the breadth and variety of the field. Basic bibliographic entries for each term aids the beginning student in building her or his library.

As an Orthodox Christian reader, my only disappointment was with the article on Orthodox Biblical Interpretation (OBI), as it did not appear to consult any Orthodox authors directly. Breck and Pentiuc, for example, model OBI as described in this text, but Tarazi does not (and should be listed as a dissenting voice). Still, this is a minor quibble and only relevant because for those unfamiliar with Orthodoxy but interested in its distinctive approach to Scripture, the present article would not really suffice.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an encyclopedic reference book for students of Biblical studies, providing definitions and discussions of many of the terms you may hear or read. Here are some examples of topics, chosen at random:

Eisegesis

The Gospel of Thomas

The Jesus Seminar

The New Hermeneutic

The Synoptic Problem

You get the idea. The book is quite exhaustive now that it’s reached its fourth edition, and I use it for occasional reference, but I do once in a while feel frustrated by the emphasis of precision in definitions over simple explanations, particularly when the discussion is not accompanied by examples. In other words, it could sometimes be more user-friendly. Never-the-less, there is a lot of good information, presented quite compactly.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, disclaimer, I have not technically 'read' this book. This is not the kind of book you read through, rather it functions as a semi dictionary of Biblical Criticism. It is a tool, an aid, and it's a very good one. One of my professors had recommended it as a book one should have handy in their library. So I did just that, and it has come in handy so many times thus far. I highly recommend it.

[Alan Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every field of study has its own lingo. This is the book to get if you want to learn the lingo of biblical studies. Soulen provides an excellent resource that should be on hand for every person interested in being immersed into biblical studies.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource providing in a dictionary/encyclopedia-like form definitions and descriptions of just about everything you need or want to know about regarding biblical criticism. Follow the link to my full review.

http://www.bobcornwall.com/2012/08/ha...

[Robert Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very critical, but helpful resource

[David the Ñoldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great quick resource for anyone interested in the field of biblical studies.