The historical-critical method

“The historical approach to Biblical literature is one of the great events in the history of Christianity and even of religion and human culture. It is one of the elements of which Protestantism can be proud. It was an expression of Protestant courage when theologians subjected the holy writings of their own church to a critical analysis through the historical method. It appears that no other religion in human history exercised such boldness and took upon itself the same risk.”

—Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951-63), 2:107.