Historical analysis by layers
Extracts from Chapter Two of "Primitive Materialism".
The New Testament is a layered text. What this means that it has multiple authors, was written at separate times, is a compilation and selection of writings, and refers to events which are recorded for the most part by authors who are not witnesses to those events. The authorship of some of the documents contained within it is highly doubtful.
Principle of textual analysis. In history we constantly encounter a source that is, for example, written at time 100 CE but refers to events occurring prior to this time, say 70 CE. What is this work evidence of? To answer: primarily evidence of what was thought at time 100 CE, and secondarily evidence of what happened at 70 CE. Suppose an event is stated in this text to have occurred in 70 CE, then the text is evidence that at 100 CE the author believed or claimed to believe that such and such happened in 70 CE. This principle is of the utmost importance when considering the structure and nature of beliefs, which are cognitive-emotional states that can alter quite rapidly, especially during a period of great transformation. If the beliefs of 70 CE are discussed in a text written in 100 CE, then the text is primarily evidence of what was thought at 100 CE and may amount to no more than a backward projection onto the period of 70 CE. This principle applies to this very work, which is being written in the twenty-first century, but makes many statements about the past that predate it.
Following this principle, to understand a layered text, that text must be reorganised in so far as possible in the order in which the layers were written. Very frequently, a text contains material in an order that is not historical. For example, in the case of the New Testament, it is generally agreed that the Gospel of Mark was the first gospel to be written, but Mark appears after Matthew. Mark is also not historically the earliest document of the New Testament.
Jesus is held to have died between 30 and 33 CE. A second landmark event was the First Jewish War, 66 – 70 CE, after which the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The early Christian movement was initially divided between the Jewish-Christians centred on Jerusalem, under the leadership of Peter and James, brother of Jesus, and the Gentile-Christians to whom Paul undertook to be their “Apostle”. With the devastation of the Jewish War, the Jewish-Christian movement was all but wiped out – a remnant retreated to Pella; hence it was the form of Christianity that presents itself as a world-religion aimed at the gentiles that prevailed over the Jewish-Christian variant.
According to the received opinions of scholarship, the New Testament was constructed from 50 CE onwards at the earliest. From internal considerations, scholars postulate the existence of sources for the material in the New Testament, but these sources no longer exist independently, so I will refer to these as “pre-historical” (or “layer 0”), by which I do not wish to indicate any doubt as to their existence or historicity, merely that their existence and content is an inference. The most important of these sources is designated “Q”, a collection of sayings of Jesus that make no reference to his resurrection. The earliest gospel is thought to be Mark, and because Mark is unaware of “Q”, this has given rise to the “two-source theory”. As the Gospel of Mark is held to have been written c.67 CE, its author draws upon sources that are closer in date to the events and which may be regarded as eye-witness testimony. Both Matthew and Luke introduce new material. John was written later, and one theory is that that the author drew on new material without knowledge of the other three gospels, which because of their common core are called the “synoptic” gospels.
Principle of textual analysis. In history we constantly encounter a source that is, for example, written at time 100 CE but refers to events occurring prior to this time, say 70 CE. What is this work evidence of? To answer: primarily evidence of what was thought at time 100 CE, and secondarily evidence of what happened at 70 CE. Suppose an event is stated in this text to have occurred in 70 CE, then the text is evidence that at 100 CE the author believed or claimed to believe that such and such happened in 70 CE. This principle is of the utmost importance when considering the structure and nature of beliefs, which are cognitive-emotional states that can alter quite rapidly, especially during a period of great transformation. If the beliefs of 70 CE are discussed in a text written in 100 CE, then the text is primarily evidence of what was thought at 100 CE and may amount to no more than a backward projection onto the period of 70 CE. This principle applies to this very work, which is being written in the twenty-first century, but makes many statements about the past that predate it.
Following this principle, to understand a layered text, that text must be reorganised in so far as possible in the order in which the layers were written. Very frequently, a text contains material in an order that is not historical. For example, in the case of the New Testament, it is generally agreed that the Gospel of Mark was the first gospel to be written, but Mark appears after Matthew. Mark is also not historically the earliest document of the New Testament.
Jesus is held to have died between 30 and 33 CE. A second landmark event was the First Jewish War, 66 – 70 CE, after which the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The early Christian movement was initially divided between the Jewish-Christians centred on Jerusalem, under the leadership of Peter and James, brother of Jesus, and the Gentile-Christians to whom Paul undertook to be their “Apostle”. With the devastation of the Jewish War, the Jewish-Christian movement was all but wiped out – a remnant retreated to Pella; hence it was the form of Christianity that presents itself as a world-religion aimed at the gentiles that prevailed over the Jewish-Christian variant.
According to the received opinions of scholarship, the New Testament was constructed from 50 CE onwards at the earliest. From internal considerations, scholars postulate the existence of sources for the material in the New Testament, but these sources no longer exist independently, so I will refer to these as “pre-historical” (or “layer 0”), by which I do not wish to indicate any doubt as to their existence or historicity, merely that their existence and content is an inference. The most important of these sources is designated “Q”, a collection of sayings of Jesus that make no reference to his resurrection. The earliest gospel is thought to be Mark, and because Mark is unaware of “Q”, this has given rise to the “two-source theory”. As the Gospel of Mark is held to have been written c.67 CE, its author draws upon sources that are closer in date to the events and which may be regarded as eye-witness testimony. Both Matthew and Luke introduce new material. John was written later, and one theory is that that the author drew on new material without knowledge of the other three gospels, which because of their common core are called the “synoptic” gospels.
Questions
1. Is the New Testament a layered text?
Assuming it is,
2. In what stages was it written, and which texts within it may be taken as authentic, and which are doubtful? How does the distinction between texts that are authentic and texts that are doubtful effect the theology of Christianity?
3. Is it possible to identify a historical Jesus independently of the cultural emergence of Christ?
4. Under what circumstances is it possible to maintain the thesis of the inerrancy of the New Testament?
5. What is the work of revelation? Assuming there is a godhead, how is the godhead revealed to man?
Assuming it is,
2. In what stages was it written, and which texts within it may be taken as authentic, and which are doubtful? How does the distinction between texts that are authentic and texts that are doubtful effect the theology of Christianity?
3. Is it possible to identify a historical Jesus independently of the cultural emergence of Christ?
4. Under what circumstances is it possible to maintain the thesis of the inerrancy of the New Testament?
5. What is the work of revelation? Assuming there is a godhead, how is the godhead revealed to man?
Extract Two
The principal doctrines of the Church are:
The Incarnation. Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. He is the Word of God and pre-existed the creation. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
The Trinity. There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The son is “of one being” (consubstantial, Greek, homoousios) with the Father. The Son is God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
The Resurrection. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
The Fall and Original Sin. Man was created in God’s image but has fallen from a state of primal innocence into a corrupt state such that he has a sinful nature through Adam’s original sin.
The Atonement. For us men and for our salvation Jesus Christ came down from heaven. For our sake he was crucified. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. By his victory over death, being a Man without Sin, and suffering an innocent death, he negated the punishment due to man for Adam’s original sin.
Salvation. For the salvation of sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is provided by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. Through confession of the Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, Man may look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Day of Judgement. Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. There will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost, those who are saved and those who are damned.
The Creation. God, the Father almighty, is the maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. Through the Son, the Word, all things were made.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the Lord, is the giver of life.
The Incarnation. Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. He is the Word of God and pre-existed the creation. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
The Trinity. There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The son is “of one being” (consubstantial, Greek, homoousios) with the Father. The Son is God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
The Resurrection. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
The Fall and Original Sin. Man was created in God’s image but has fallen from a state of primal innocence into a corrupt state such that he has a sinful nature through Adam’s original sin.
The Atonement. For us men and for our salvation Jesus Christ came down from heaven. For our sake he was crucified. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. By his victory over death, being a Man without Sin, and suffering an innocent death, he negated the punishment due to man for Adam’s original sin.
Salvation. For the salvation of sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is provided by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. Through confession of the Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, Man may look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Day of Judgement. Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. There will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost, those who are saved and those who are damned.
The Creation. God, the Father almighty, is the maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. Through the Son, the Word, all things were made.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the Lord, is the giver of life.
Questions
1. Which of these doctrines may be found or grounded in any words attributable to Jesus? Which belong to Paul? Which belong to John? Which were established after Paul and John?
2. Assuming that there has been a transformation of philosophy and theology since the onset of the C20th, for which of these doctrines can there be a modern justification?
3. Is Christianity inevitably wedded to concepts laid down in late antiquity and perpetuated in the Middle Ages?
2. Assuming that there has been a transformation of philosophy and theology since the onset of the C20th, for which of these doctrines can there be a modern justification?
3. Is Christianity inevitably wedded to concepts laid down in late antiquity and perpetuated in the Middle Ages?