Introduction and History

Redaction criticism is a tool biblical scholars use to determine the meaning and focus of a passage in relation to the larger literary unit of which it is a part. It is a method of study that investigates the intentions of those redactors who compiled the biblical texts out of earlier sources. Scholars used redaction criticism as early as the 19th century, particularly in the study of Job and Chronicles. It began to grow in popularity, especially under von Rad, in the mid-twentieth century as scholars grew in respect for the text in its finished, canonical shape. By the 1980’s, redaction criticism was overtaken to some extent by newer methods such as canonical criticism and structuralism.