Historical criticism or higher criticism branch of literary analysis that investigates the origins of a text.

. Historical is written in terms of the Bible. Higher doesnt regard the bible as inerrant. Higher criticism refers to all literary analyses. Lower criticism refers to textual criticism, deals with study of manuscripts/ comparison to find original meaning Textual criticism attempts to get to the original text by comparing and studying all copies Source Criticism attempts to find the source(s) behind the extant documents Form criticism stresses oral tradition and transmission behind the written texts of the Bible. Dissects the Bible into small bits of tradition, seeks to find the original oral form. Redaction Criticism studies the editing of the biblical material by individual authors of the individual books. Looks at each book as a whole, tries to determine the theological purpose intended by the author Tradition criticism Studies the history behind the text to see how the tradition in the text developed into what is extant Literary Criticism stresses the beauty of the Bible texts from an aesthetic point of view looking at rhetorical devices Sociological Method Uses Social-Scientific methods to help interpret the text. Radical elements glean freedom from various types of slavery using Exodus and other scriptures as the focal point to their theologies (eg. Feminist Theology, Liberation Theology) Canon Criticism sees the whole canon as the limitation and extent of revealed Scripture for the Church and attempts to interpret Scripture based on a books position in the canon Postmodernism skepticism, no one correct interpretation

Christology
Who do people say I am? Mark 8:27 But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Mark 8:20 Trinitarian framework o Christ as Gods self-revelation o God has not revealed his will but something of who he is in Gods self o The Son and the Spirit as the two hands of the Father Economic and immanent Trinity o How you conceive of God does matter Christology at the center of theology, inseparable from the Trinity doctrine Patristic era, Medieval era(Thomas Aquinas), Enlightenment(science) Older works of theology draws distinctions between the person of Christ(Christology) and the work of Christ(Soteriology) In the Bible, the identity of Jesus is known through his impact upon us Melanchton: To know Christ is to know His benefits Pneumatology: the Spirit of Christ Soteriology: salvation in Christ

Ecclestiology: the body of Christ Revelation: self-revelation of God in Christ Eschatology: the coming of Gods kingdom in the person of Christ