Some thoughts on the documentary hypothesis

A short opinion piece reflecting on the documentary hypothesis and does it really matter.  It is also a reminder of how certain scholarly assumptions develop a sort of dogma about them over time - to reject these scholarly assumptions is to be labeled either a fool or a heretic.  I've always considered source criticism as little more than a red herring anyway.  It baffles me that scholars can exert so much energy either defending or demolishing arguments about authorship and sources (oftentimes without any historically verifyable evidence) and in the process totally miss or dismiss the message of the word which has been passed down to us.  This is what happens, I think, when you separate scripture from its moorings in the Church.  For instance, Hebrews has been used as authoritative scripture within the believing community for about 2000 years.  I love speculating about the authorship of Hebrews, but to a great extent it doesn't matter.  What does matter is what this book has had to say to the Church through the years and what it continues to say to the Church today. 

Canonical Criticism

An approach that seeks to interpret the biblical books with respect to their authoritative status and theological context within the Bible. Canonical criticism thus focuses on the final form of the biblical texts rather than their earlier stages of composition or transmission (though recognition of the stages plays an integral role in some uses of this approach). Furthermore, canonical critics argue that the object of biblical interpretation is theological reflection within a community of faith. For example, Torah and the Gospels have a special function in the canon. They are set apart as first and foundational; hence the Prophets in the OT and Paul in the NT should be read in the light of the Torah and the Gospels respectively, even though the Prophets and Paul’s letters may predate the present form of the Torah and Gospels. Canonical criticism sees the Bible as “Scripture,” as authoritative writings of the community of faith, and incorporates theological reflection as part of the reading of a text.

Arthur G. Patzia and Petrotta, Anthony J, Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 23