A Survey of Old Testament Methodologies and Their Implications for Biblical Studies

Abstract

Biblical methodologies for Old Testament or New Testament are major elements to which some have called a crisis (Hasel, 1987, p. 9) that cannot be placed at the peripherals of Biblical theological issues. A Biblical theology advocated for, without a methodology, is as good as advocating to drive a vehicle that has no fuel. In this regard, it is plausible therefore to speak of biblical theology and biblical methodologies to establish their identities that seem to be under threat. The meaning of the Biblical text cannot be done without an operational biblical methodology (Correa, 2015). “It is of such transcendence that sometimes the methodology of the research and its resultant definition cause scholars to question whether the method has been well defined” (p. 300). This paper observes that the use of diverse methodologies in the task of Biblical theology attributes to the core of theological pluralism and diverse scholarly views. Furthermore, to understand the distinction between BT and Old Testament methodologies, their interdependence and exclusive nature, is as paramount as the process of doing exegesis on the text. The paper also underscores the dangers of the latent assumptions of the historical critical method in Old Testament methodologies, and affirms the preference methodologies grounded on underpinnings of the historical grammatical approach.