From Tradition to Gospel: Die Formgeschichte des Evangeliums [Paperback]

The classic introduction to Form Criticism in the study of the New Testament.


First published in 1919, From Tradition to Gospel introduced and established Form Criticism in New Testament scholarship, and it remains the classic description of the field. Dibelius outlines the twofold object of Form Criticism, firstly to explain the origin of the tradition about Jesus, and secondly to uncover with what objective the earliest Churches learnt, recounted and passed on the stories and sayings of Jesus, which gradually developed into the Gospel narratives. In doing so, he begins to answer questions as to the nature and trustworthiness of our knowledge of Jesus. As new sources come to light and new critical techniques are developed, the original investigation into the Gospels along Form-Critical lines is as relevant as ever.GBFascinating, with its extraordinarily able analysis of folk-stories in general and of the Gospel material in particular ... we rejoice to have accessible in English so brilliantly written a work.The best introduction to form criticism.Authors Preface to the English Edition
Biographical Note
Translators Note
Glossary of Principal Technical Terms

I. Formgeschichte, or the Criticism of Literary Form
II. Sermons
III. Paradigms
IV. Tales
V. Legends
VI. Analogies
(i) Rabinnic
(ii) Greek
(a) Chriae
(b) Tales
(iii) Patristic Apothegms
VII. The Passion Story
VIII. Synthesis
IX. Exhortations
X. Mythology
XI. Form, History, Theology

General Index
Index of Scriptural Passages
(a) Old Testament
(b) New Testament
(i) Subjects
(ii) Verses