The Historian, the Believer, and the OT

Abstract

"The study of Israel's past concerns not only the historian but also the believer. The relationship of the Christian historian to the modern historical-critical process, however, especially in regard to the study of the OT, has generally been unclear. Few problems have been more traumatic for the Christian than the imposition of historical methods on the study of the Bible.1 This is one of the most serious tests that Christianity has had concerning the nature of Biblical authority.2 Many have seen the historical method as incompatible with Christian faith. Christianity has normally been based on supernatural metaphysics, while the historical method has been founded on a rational assessment of the probability of an event, not on doctrinal canons.3 The historical method is now taken for granted in many circles, and it would be difficult for the secular historian to return to a precriticai age"