So, I was wondering what everyone here thinks about modern, biblical textual criticism. Like it or do you prefer the good ol' Textus Receptus?
There's truth in it, but it can be hell for a believer. It may even cost you your faith. You'd certainly have to give up on many 'facts' one usually takes for granted (Moses wrote the Torah, the Evangelists the Gospels, St. John the Divine the Book of Revelation, Jonah or Job as historical figures, etc.), but other bits will add up (e.g. looking at Genesis in its Ancient Near Eastern context sure makes a lot of sense - you'll never again be able to look at it with the naive gaze of the creationist fundie, though). You'll be able to see what the author(s) intended to say, how each book would have been understood by the contemporary target-reader, its social and literary context, but you might end up viewing its traditional interpretation as an interested/interesting figment. It's like trading the big picture of Tradition for a microscope view. That's the price you pay for 'in depth' knowledge, I guess...
