Nsukka Journal of Religion and Cultural Studies (Jul 2022)
Biblical Criticism, the Westcott and Hort’s Resonance: Challenges to Post Modernism in New Testament Studies
Abstract
Mirages of contours had characterised biblical scholarship on the texts of the New Testament in modern time across the globe. This had led assailant in form of cynics who, out of sheer ignorance, question the inerrancy as well as the authority of the text of the scriptures of the New Testament. Whatever happened to the texts of the scriptures; and to what extent had certain biblical scholars delved in to resolving the puzzle had become a case in point to ponder across strata of academic enquiry. This paper investigates these quests with special emphasis on two astute New Testament scholars like Westcott and Hort, probing into their resonance in biblical as well as textual criticism in New Testament Scholarship. The study through socio-scientific criticism driven by socio-historical antecedents surrounding West-Hort’s Text of Greek New testament their contribution in biblical scholarship examined and presents the positional truth behind what biblical scholars do. The study deciphers that i) biblical scholarship is beyond what is assumed by lay readers of the New Testament; ii) that approaches to biblical scholarship is scientific with the employment of textual/ critical apparatus unlike the natural , behavioural , social and physical sciences. iii) that the New Testament as a core branch of biblical studies is a very interesting field in religious studies, as well as biblical scholarship meant for great minds; and iv) that Westcott and Hort in their ingenuity had not done it all given emerging postmodern challenges. This piece of treatise would definitely sound as apogee for critical resonance to students of New Testament as well as biblical studies as a discipline.
