# Textual Criticism Bibliography



## Justified (Dec 27, 2015)

Sorry to bother the board again with book requests! I was hoping that the board could give a nice list of books, articles, or even audio about textual criticism. I don't exclusively want arguments for different manuscript traditions, though I do want that too. If you would, please give a nice bibliography, along with what you regard as introductory volumes/articles.

I'm currently not committed to either manuscript tradition, so I'd like both sides to please offer book recommendations (and indicate what side your resources come from, please).


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## Justified (Dec 29, 2015)

Bump.


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## py3ak (Dec 29, 2015)

Here are some works I've consulted.

Alan F. Johnson, “A Stylistic Trait of the Fourth Gospel in the Pericope Adulterae?” in _Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society_ 9, No. 2 (1966)
Bart D. Ehrman, “Jesus and the Adulteress” in _New Testament Studies_ 34 (1988)
Bruce M. Metzger, _A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament_ (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997)
Bruce M. Metzger, _The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 3rd Enlarged Edition_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992)
David Alan Black, _New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide_ (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994)
Ernest C. Colwell, _Studies in Methodology in Textual Criticism of the New Testament_ (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1969)
Gordon H. Clark, _Logical Criticisms of Textual Criticism_, 2nd ed. (Unicoi: Trinity Foundation, 1990)
J. Harold Greenlee, _Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, Revised Edition_ (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995)
Wilbur N. Pickering, _The Identity of the New Testament Text_ (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1977)

Of those, I think David Alan Black gives the most neutral overview. Wilbur Pickering questions the current consensus on the approach to textual criticism, but the information provided in the others doesn't always seem to support the consensus approach very forcefully. Greenlee is probably the 2nd most painfully boring book I have ever read. I think _Upper Cretaceous Limestone in the Lone Star State_ would be a positive cliffhanger in comparison. The Clark book didn't set out to accomplish much, and succeeded rather well, I thought.


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## Logan (Dec 29, 2015)

I thought Scrivener's "Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament" was very helpful. He was definitely more cautious than many textual critics and in general favored the TR while still recognizing that it had places where the evidence for its readings was lacking.
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/scrivener/ntcrit1.html


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