Form Criticism and Redaction Criticism: Possible Parallels in the Patristic Heritage and Liturgical Tradition

Abstract

This article deals with the methods of historical-critical analysis. The author analyzes how some principles of Form criticism and Redaction criticism are reflected in the patristic heritage and the liturgical tradition. At first, the author provides a brief overview of these methods of historical and critical analysis, outlining the basic principles, tasks, and features of the historical context of the methods emergence. Then the author notes those principles of the analyzed methods, which are not typical for the patristic heritage. Finally, the article identifies the principles of Form criticism and Redaction criticism, parallels to which one can find in the patristic heritage. The focus is on the Gospel of Mark and the Small Apocalypse — the eschatological speech of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Olives (Mt 24, Mk 13, Lk 21). This choice is caused by a number of reasons. Firstly, despite the fact there are practically no patristic commentaries on the Gospel of Mark, some conclusions of the Church Fathers regarding this Book of Holy Scripture deserve special attention. The author shows that these conclusions, being unfairly ignored in the modern scientific environment, provide a significant perspective for further research. Secondly, the version of reading the Small Apocalypse according to the liturgical tradition is almost completely ignored in the scientific community. In this article, the mentioned gaps are filled. Thus, the study, on the one hand, demonstrates the peculiarities of the principles, objectives and goals of Form criticism and Redaction criticism; and on the other hand, the article reflects which and how the principles of Form criticism and Redaction criticism take place in the patristic heritage and the liturgical tradition. This study provides a version of the boundaries of the use of Form criticism and Redaction criticism, acceptable for an Orthodox researcher. Finally, the purpose of this analysis is to emphasize the importance of referring to the patristic tradition in cases where new methods of studying the Holy Scriptures are proposed.

Keywords

• patristic heritage
• liturgical tradition
• form criticism
• redaction criticism
• little apocalypse
• gospel of mark