Redaction Criticism

Definition and Meaning

Redaction criticism is a method of interpretation that regards the biblical writers not merely as collectors of material but as editors and authors who selected, combined, and refined their sources. In German it is called Redaktionsgeschichte ("redaction history"). The word "criticism" here does not imply disparagement of the Bible; it is a scholarly term for careful, detailed analysis of the text.

Redaction criticism compares how the various Gospels record the same event differently. In Peter's confession, for example, Mark 8:29 reads, "Thou art the Christ." Matthew 16:16 adds "the Son of the living God," and Luke 9:20 reads, "The Christ of God." From such differences, redaction criticism seeks to discern what each writer intended to emphasize for his readers.

Biblical and Historical Background

Redaction criticism emerged from research on the Synoptic Problem. Source criticism first asked which written sources the Gospel writers used; its best-known conclusion is the "two-source hypothesis," which holds that Mark was written first. Form criticism then focused on the short narrative units that circulated orally before being written down. Redaction criticism, in turn, redirected attention to the individual author.

The method became established in German New Testament scholarship after World War II. Günther Bornkamm's work on Matthew, Hans Conzelmann's work on Luke, and Willi Marxsen's work on Mark are recognized as representative early studies. The term Redaktionsgeschichte is generally credited to Marxsen.

Practice in the Korean Church

Redaction criticism is introduced mainly in New Testament courses at theological seminaries as one method of biblical interpretation. The term itself is rarely used in congregational settings. Nevertheless, the approach of asking "Why did Matthew record it this way?" is common in preaching and Bible study.

The degree of acceptance varies with theological orientation.

• Conservative Reformed and evangelical circles: These place great weight on biblical inerrancy and therefore reject the presupposition that the Gospel writers invented sayings of Jesus or events in his life. They nonetheless find value in the observation that the writers selected and arranged material while reporting facts, and they often use the method in a form stripped of such presuppositions.
• Progressive theological circles: These readily embrace redaction criticism as one of the historical-critical methods, regarding it as useful for identifying the distinct theology of each Gospel.

Some treat the method with caution because of its association with liberal theology, while others regard it as a tool for careful reading of the text; both views exist side by side.