Meaning of historical criticism | Babel Free

Definitions

1. The systematic study of received texts, especially the Bible, as documents composed in a particular historical context with varying reliability as sources.
   uncountable
2. The systematic, reasoned study of history and critique of received historical traditions in general.
   archaic, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Concerning the narratives of Daniel, historical criticism has given its primary energy to the placement of the narratives in the Maccabean crisis of the second century, far away from the sixth century when its reported events purportedly happened.”

“Our genealogical writers have⟳ given a fair pedigree of the family of Seton in the fourteenth century. […] This pedigree, however, will not stand⟳ the test⟳ of historical criticism.”

“The plain rule⟳ of historical criticism, which is simply the teaching of common sense⟳, is, putting aside all those writers whose date⟳ or position deprives them of immediate knowledge and authority, to rely⟳ exclusively on those who were nearest to the time and scene of the events described, and to examine⟳ in all cases the source whence their information is derived.”

“The points in [Herodotus’] historical criticism of the past, are first his rejection of all extra-natural interference, and secondly, the attributing to these ancient heroes the motives and modes of thought of his own⟳ day.”

CEFR level