The method of biblical scholarship that analyzes texts by identifying their literary form (pronouncement story, miracle story, parable) and the social setting (Sitz im Leben) in which that form was preserved and transmitted.
Identifying literary forms: each pericope (unit) in the gospels belongs to a recognizable literary form — apophthegm/pronouncement story, miracle story, legend, parable, saying. Each form was shaped by the oral tradition and the social needs of the early Christian community that preserved it. Sitz im Leben ('setting in life'): the institutional context (preaching, worship, apologetics) that generated and shaped each form. Method for tracing oral tradition behind the written gospels.
Discussing
Ask anything about Form Criticism — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.
Sign in to start a conversation.