Form Criticism and the Life of Jesus

Abstract

The publication of David Friedrich Strauss's book, "Life of Jesus", in 1835, marked a growing interest in the historicity of the gospels. This book, as typical of the theology of its time, was based on the priority of Matthew's gospel. While Strauss's work was still being acclaimed, Carl Lachmann set about the task of comparing the gospel records. Thus began the study of what has been called the "Synoptic Problem." This study transferred priority from Matthew to Mark. For eighty years the Markan hypothesis prevailed, and Mark was generally credited with a true historical account of the life of Jesus.