redactioncriticism

Redaction criticism, or redaktionskritik, is a method in biblical studies that analyzes how biblical texts were shaped by redactors—editors who combined, revised, and supplemented earlier sources to produce a coherent literary and theological whole. It treats the final form of a text as the product of deliberate editorial choices rather than a straightforward collection of independent traditions. The goal is to reveal the editor's theological aims, interpretive choices, and narrative program as these shaped the text's meaning.

Origins and scope: The approach originated in German biblical criticism in the mid-20th century, with Martin Noth often credited as the founder for the Old Testament Deuteronomistic History (the books of Joshua through 2 Kings) as a canonical example of redactional shaping. The method was subsequently applied to the New Testament, notably by Rudolf Bultmann and other scholars, who examined how gospel writers and editors reordered and augmented sources to present a theological portrait of Jesus and the early church. Redaction criticism typically investigates seams between sources, editorial glosses, orderings, additions, and harmonizing edits.

Method and aims: The practitioner identifies signals of editorial activity such as transitional phrases, evaluative or interpretive comments, theological summaries, or reworked episodes that serve a larger argumentative frame. By comparing multiple versions or layers within a text, the analyst infers the editor's concerns—covenant faithfulness, kingship, exile and return, prophecy fulfillment—and how these concerns shape the narrative's message.

Critique and limitations: Redaction criticism assumes intentional authorial shaping and may overstate agency or reconstructive certainty. It often depends on conjecture about the editor's motives or methods and can conflict with other approaches such as form criticism or canonical criticism. Nevertheless, the method remains a foundational tool for understanding how biblical writers crafted meaning in their final literary forms.