Source Criticism

by Joel S Baden

Overview

Source criticism has been at the center of biblical studies for the last two centuries. In that time, it has produced a wide range of theories and approaches, often conflicting. This book provides a concise overview of the major approaches and positions in the field, helping the reader understand where scholarship has been and where it currently stands, and situating each major development within its broader intellectual and social context.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666764093
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	05/30/2024
Series:	Cascade Companions
Pages:	156
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.36(d)

About the Author

Joel S. Baden is professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University. He is the author, most recently, of The Book of Exodus: A Biography (2019).

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This slim volume delivers exactly what it promises: an explanation of the dizzying history of pentateuchal source criticism that is both accessible and expertly crafted. With characteristic clarity and wit, Joel Baden highlights the evidence to which source critics respond and, crucially, the intellectual and cultural conditions that have influenced their work. Anyone seeking to understand the Pentateuch will benefit from this insightful book.”

—Jeffrey Stackert, professor of Hebrew Bible, University of Chicago Divinity School



“Joel Baden has done it again! With great clarity and a surprisingly light touch, he reviews three centuries’ worth of scholarship on the composition of the Pentateuch, laying out not only the theses of the most significant biblical critics but the reasoning behind their work and, no less crucially, the cultural presumptions and religious values that motivate them. He provides an accessible roadmap to what at first seems a bewildering variety of theories, and he guides readers, I think quite fairly, to evaluating them. Scholars, students, and lay readers alike will benefit greatly from Baden’s expertise—and his expert pedagogy.”

—Benjamin D. Sommer, professor of Bible and ancient Semitic languages, The Jewish Theological Seminary

Editorial Reviews

This slim volume delivers exactly what it promises: an explanation of the dizzying history of pentateuchal source criticism that is both accessible and expertly crafted. With characteristic clarity and wit, Joel Baden highlights the evidence to which source critics respond and, crucially, the intellectual and cultural conditions that have influenced their work. Anyone seeking to understand the Pentateuch will benefit from this insightful book.”

—Jeffrey Stackert, professor of Hebrew Bible, University of Chicago Divinity School



“Joel Baden has done it again! With great clarity and a surprisingly light touch, he reviews three centuries’ worth of scholarship on the composition of the Pentateuch, laying out not only the theses of the most significant biblical critics but the reasoning behind their work and, no less crucially, the cultural presumptions and religious values that motivate them. He provides an accessible roadmap to what at first seems a bewildering variety of theories, and he guides readers, I think quite fairly, to evaluating them. Scholars, students, and lay readers alike will benefit greatly from Baden’s expertise—and his expert pedagogy.”

—Benjamin D. Sommer, professor of Bible and ancient Semitic languages, The Jewish Theological Seminary

From the Publisher