Form Criticism 1

The Synoptic Gospels

Form Criticism

Form Criticism 2

If Mark is the

first Gospel . . .

what source(s) did Mark use?

Form Criticism 3

Oral Tradition

The sayings of Jesus and stories about

what he did were not written down

during his life.

Various sayings and stories circulated

through the early churches . . .

By means of oral repetition

Form Criticism 4

The Nature of Oral Tradition

Conservativelittle accretion in the oral processnot like the “gossip game”more like “bedtime story”

Patterns for various stories

== FORMS

Form Criticism 5

Knock, Knock

Canoe

Canoe come out to play?

Form Criticism 6

Identify these forms:

…so help me God.

He is survived by his wife, Lisa, three daughters, and a brother in Peoria.

…and they lived happily ever after.

Let’s play ball!

Form Criticism 7

Definition of FORM

Small units of oral or written material

that display well-defined characteristics in

common

For example: fairy tales jokesmiracle stories

Form Criticism 8

Some of the Forms found in the New Testament:

Miracle StoriesHymns and liturgical materialsLettersSermonsLegendsVirtue/Vice ListsApocalypses

Form Criticism 9

The Study of these

(Oral) Forms

is referred to as

Form Criticism

Form Criticism 10

Three Major Axioms ofForm Criticism

1. The original source for the material in the Gospel is oral tradition in which the material circulated in small units.

2. This material has been brought together and redacted (=edited) in various ways and at various stages.

Form Criticism 11

Major Axioms, continued

3. Such material gives us information about the beliefs and circumstances of the early church as well as about the ministry of Jesus.

Form Criticism 12

Identify the context:…so help me God.He is survived by

his wife, Lisa, three daughters, and a brother in Peoria.

…and they lived happily ever after.

Let’s play ball!

In what social context are you likely to hear/read each statement?

Can you identify any “borrowed” contexts?

Form Criticism 13

The social context of a form

is referred to as its

Sitz-im-Leben(“setting-in-life”)

Form Criticism 14

The Importance of theSitz-im-Leben

Each of these forms served a definite function in the concrete situation in the life of the early church.

The main purpose for the creation, circulation, and the use of these forms was not to preserve the history of Jesus, but to strengthen the life of the church.

Form Criticism 15

The Tasks of Form Criticism

1. Identify the formthrough repeated patternsthrough repetitious phrases

2. Identify the Sitz-im-Leben for each form

3. Identify divergences from the form in particular cases

Form Criticism 16

Form Criticism

and the Gospels

Form Criticism 17

Basic Bibliography1919: Martin Dibelius,

From Tradition to Gospel

1921: Rudolf Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition

1933: Vincent Taylor, The Formation of the Gospel Tradition

Form Criticism 18

The Forms of theGospel Literature

A. SAYINGS1. Dominical Sayings2. “I” Sayings3. Parables4. Pronouncement Stories

B. NARRATIVES 1. Miracle Stories2. Legends -- Stories about Christ

Form Criticism 19

To A.2. “I” Sayings

A.1. Dominical SayingsProverbs -- Jesus as Teacher of Wisdom

declarativeimperativeinterrogative

Prophetic and Apocalyptic Sayings -- Jesus proclaims the arrival of the Kingdom of God

Legal Sayings -- Jewish law and piety

Form Criticism 20

Declarative ProverbsMatthew 12:34 --“For out of the abundance of the

heart the mouth speaks.”Matthew 6:34 --“Let the day’s own trouble be

sufficient for the day.”Matthew 22:14 --“For many are called but few are

chosen.”

Form Criticism 21

Imperative Proverbs

Matthew 8:22 --“Follow me, and leave the dead to

bury their own dead.”

Form Criticism 22

Interrogative ProverbsMatthew 6:27 --“And which of you by being

anxious can add one cubit to his or her life?”

Mark 2:19 --“Can the wedding guests fast while

the bridegroom is with them?”

Form Criticism 23

Prophetic and Apocalyptic Sayings

Mark 1:15 --“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom

of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 6:20-21 --“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the

kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.”

Form Criticism 24

Legal SayingsMark 7:15 --

“There is nothing outside you which by going into you can defile you; but the things which come out of you are what defile you.”

Matthew 23:16-17 --“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If any

one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?”

Form Criticism 25

A.2. “I” SayingsJesus speaks of himself, his work, and

his destiny.Matthew 5:17 --

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Mark 10:45 --“For the Son of man also came not to be

served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Form Criticism 26

A.3. Parables

A parable is a short narrative thatdraws on common experienceteaches a lessonthrough a !Surprise!

A parable re-orients the world and the expectations of the hearer.

Form Criticism 27

A.4. Pronouncement Stories

A short saying of Jesus set in a

brief narrative context.

The saying may not have been originally uttered in this context.

Frequently deals with issues of importance to the early church.

Also called apophthegms (Bultmann) or paradigms (Taylor).

Form Criticism 28

The Form of the Pronouncement Story

SettingActionSignificant saying of Jesus

The setting and action are relatively brief.The whole interest and purpose of the unit is

concentrated on the significant saying, or “punchline.”

Form Criticism 29

Types of Pronouncement StoriesControversy Dialogue

Arise in the discussion which the church had with its opponents and within itself on questions of the law.

Scholastic DialogueSomeone seeking knowledge initiates the

dialogue by asking a question.

Biographical ApophthegmPurports to contain information about

Jesus….“edifying paradigms for sermons.”

Form Criticism 30

Sitz-im-Lebenof Pronouncement StoriesControversy Dialogues arose in

response to the church’s controversies with outside opponents.

Scholastic Dialogues arose within the church as teaching tools.

Biographical Apophthegms had their origin in preaching.

Form Criticism 31

A Controversy DialogueMark 2:15-17

And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Form Criticism 32

A Scholastic Dialogue

Mark 12:28-31

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” . . .

Form Criticism 33

A Biographical Apophthegm

Luke 9:57-62

As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Form Criticism 34

B. Narratives

1. Miracle Stories (=Tales, Dibelius)

a. Healing Narratives

b. Exorcism Narratives

c. Nature Miracles

2. Legends == Stories about Christ

Form Criticism 35

The Form of Miracle StoriesSetting

Statement of the “problem”sickness, demon possession, hunger, threat

of storm, deathIntensification of the “problem”

CureTechnology of the miracle[The miracle itself is unreported]

DemonstrationResult -- action of patientResponse -- crowd responds

Form Criticism 36

Healing NarrativesPeter’s mother-in-law, Mk 1:30-31 parr.The Leper, Mk 1:40-45Raising of Jairus’ Daughter, Mk 5:21-24, 35-43

parr.The Woman with a hemorrhage, Mk 5:24-34The Deaf-mute, Mk 7:37-37The blind man of Bethsaida, Mk 8:22-26Blind Bartimaeus, Mk 10:46-52The Widow’s son of Nain, Lk 7:12-16The ten lepers, Lk 17:12-16The bent woman, Lk 13:11-17

Form Criticism 37

Exorcisms

The Capernaum demoniac, Mk 1:23-

27 parr.

The Gadarene Demoniac, Mk 5:1-20

parr.

The Daughter of the Syrophoenician

woman, Mk 7:24-30

The Epilectic boy -- Mark 9:17-29,

parr.

Form Criticism 38

Nature Miracles

The stilling of the storm, Mark 4:37-41 parr.

The feeding of the multitude, Mark 6:34-44 parr., Mk 8:1-9 parr.

The walking on the water, Mk 6:47-51 par.

The cursing of the fig-tree, Mk 11:12-14, 20-21 par.

The miraculous draft of fishes, Lk 5:1-11

Form Criticism 39

Legends -- Stories about Christ

The Baptism, Mk 1:9-11The Temptation -- Mark 1:12-13Peter’s confession, Mk 8:27b-33 parr.The Transfiguration -- Mark 9:2-8Entry into Jerusalem, Mk 11:1-10 parr. Institution of Lord’s Supper, Mk 14:22-25 Infancy Narratives, Mt. 1-2; Lk 1-2The Resurrection Narratives, Mk 16; Mt 28;

Lk 24

Form Criticism 40

On Mixing Forms --

Sometimes forms are mixed.

A miracle story may be used as the setting for a pronouncement story. See Mark 2:1-12

The purpose of the pericope determines the form of the pericope.

Form Criticism 41

Results of Form Criticism

1. The gospels are kerygmatic in intention, not biographies of Jesus.

2. The gospel tradition was transmitted orally prior to being written down. The gospels were not written from direct personal reminiscence.

Form Criticism 42

Results of FC, continued3. At every stage in the transmission,

the selection and shaping of the material was governed by the practical needs of the early Christian communities.

4. The order of the written gospels is determined by topical and theological considerations rather than the actual course of events.

Form Criticism 43

Summary and Reviewof Form Criticism

Three major axioms of form criticismThe tasks of form criticismThe forms of the Gospel LiteratureThe form of Pronouncement StoriesThe form of Miracle StoriesThe results of form criticismVocabulary

Form Criticism 44

Three Major Axioms ofForm Criticism

1. The original source for the material in the Gospel is oral tradition.

2. This material has redacted (=edited) in various ways.

3. Such material gives us information about the beliefs and circumstances of the early church as well as about the ministry of Jesus.

Form Criticism 45

The Tasks of Form Criticism

1. Identify the form

2. Identify the Sitz-im-Leben for each form

3. Identify divergences from the form in particular cases

Form Criticism 46

The Forms of theGospel Literature

A. SAYINGS1. Dominical Sayings2. “I” Sayings3. Parables4. Pronouncement Stories

B. NARRATIVES 1. Miracle Stories2. Legends -- Stories about Christ

Form Criticism 47

The Form of the Pronouncement Story

SettingActionSignificant saying of Jesus

Form Criticism 48

The Form of Miracle Stories

Setting

Cure

Demonstration

Form Criticism 49

Results of Form Criticism

1. The kerygmatic intention of the Gospels

2. The oral transmission of the gospel tradition

3. Selection and shaping determined by the practical needs of the early Christian communities

4. Order determined by theological considerations

Form Criticism 50

Words and Concepts

Oral Tradition

Form

Form Criticism

Redacted

Sitz-im-Leben

Apophthegm

Parable

Pronouncement

Story

Legend

Kerygmatic

Form Criticism 51

More to Learn . . .

Source Criticism

Form Criticism

Redaction Criticism