Essay - How to Use Critical Analysis in the Study of the Four Gospels.
In no more than 2,000 words, discuss how one may use textual analysis as a tool in Bible study without undermining faith in the Scriptures. First, consider that modern research techniques often limit themselves to what can be duplicated and reproduced, but the Gospels discuss incarnation, miracles, and a physical resurrection that cannot be reproduced for the modern researcher to analyze. Then consider that the Four Gospels tell substantially the same story, but they differ. How do you account for those differences? How do you account for the duplications? How can the four Gospels be true if they differ? What guiding principles should one employ when approaching the Gospels? How should the miracles reported there be understood? Were they real events or merely stories told to illustrate a spiritual truth? How can modern analytical thought contribute to discovering the truth of the Gospels?