Julius Wellhausen and Hermann Gunkel: Biblical Studies and Methodology

Abstract

The article analyzes the works and methods of scriptural research of two prominent European biblical scholars - Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918) and Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932). The academic monographs and articles of modern biblical scholars are “packed” with references to the works of both researchers, conferences and collections of articles are devoted to them. J. Wellhausen is a representative of the method of criticism of sources, which he consistently used in relation to all the canonical books of the Old Testament, but the main subject of his research was the Pentateuch. Herman Gunkel - the developer of the form analysis method. Without rejecting the approach of J. Wellhausen, Gunkel supplemented it with an analysis of literary forms, having developed a classification of genres for all the books of the Old Testament. In addition, Gunkel insisted on the need for studying the Holy Scriptures without confining oneself exclusively to the biblical text but taking into account its connection with the literatures of the Ancient East - the comparative method. Thus, Gunkel introduced a synthetic approach into modern biblical studies, combining the method of criticizing sources with genre and comparative analysis. The authors of the article presented the main scientific provisions of J. Wellhausen and G. Gunkel about the origin of the Pentateuch, they tried to assess their methodology and considered the possibility of using their works in Orthodox exegesis.