The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-04
The Tendency-Theory of
Baur.
AND ITS MODIFICATION BY HIS
SUCCESSORS.
BY JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE.

The peculiarlty of the critical move
ment initiated by Baur is this, that
it has substituted for the mythical
theory (which had been pushed to its
extreme by Strauss) that of "ten-
dency." This means that the writer's
of the New Testament wrote with a
tendency in their minds toward cer-
tain beliefs; which tendency acted
like a purpose, leading them to mod
ify facts to suit their aim. The pur-
pose may have been a good one, and
may have sometimes swayed them
unconsciously. Oftener, however, it
led them to work in the fashion of
those who thought it no harm to in
vent the numerous false gospels and
epistles of the second century. Or
igen says: "Not only four gospels,
but many more have been written,
from which those which we have were
selected, and have been handed down
to the churches. The church has
four gospels. the heretics many, of
which one is called the Gospel ac-
cording to the Egyptians, another
the Gospel of the twelve Apostles.
Basilides dared to write a gospel, and
give it his own name. 1 know one
called the Gospel according to
Thomas; another according to Mat
thias; and we read of many others"
So also testify Ireneaus, Jerome and
Ambrose.
Twoprincipal events it is said, gave
rise at first to this tendency to create
sacred scriptures. The first was the
controversy between Pauline and
Judaic Christianity, the second that
between the Catholic church and
Gnosticism. All the historic books
of the New Testament are supposed
by Baur to show the influence of the
first of these controversies; and to be
SO far, not historic works, but theo-
logical. Thus, Mackay summarizes
the Baur hypothesis by telling us
that it makes the fourth Gospel pure
ly ideal; and he says of the others
that each has "a specific tendency,
more or less determinate purpose,
disposition to neutralize existing vari-
eties of opinion, and to pave the way
for Catholic establishment. In every
case the writer's theory or policy, ex-
ercises a course of modifying in
fuences upon his narrative. Matthew
is supposed to represent especially
the Judaical tradition but with inter-
mingling Catholic concession; Luke
is conciliatory aggregate of Juda-
ical notions and narratives, super
added to Pauline basis, which, next
to the genuine Pauline epistles, may
be considered as the purest and most
important doctrine of Paulinism."
This "Tendency-theory" reaches
its full development in its treatment
of the Book of Acts. Of this Zeller
SAYS: "The view that the Acts has a
purely historical aim, that is, that it
narrates the facts it contains, for their
own sake. must be described as now
discarded"
Those who deny the authenticity
of the Book of Acts, base their obiec-
tions on these grounds First, the
improbability of the facts recorded,
such as the deaths of Ananias and
Sapphira, the phenomenon of the day
of Pentecost, and the profuse mir
acles ascribed to Peter and Paul.
Next, the divergence of the account
given in Acts of the relation of Paul
to Peter, from that contained in the
epistle to the Galatians. "The Paul
of Acts" says Baur, sis manifestly
quite different person from the
Paul of Epistles." Third, the differ
ent account of the council at Jerusa-
lem in Acts and Galatians.
According to the Overlook, the
book has insoluble difficulties of sex
aggeration," "incorrectiveness, sam
biguity," "insufficiency, Ignorance"
Zeller considers it quite impossible
that Luke or any companion of Paul
should have written in good faith the
account of the miracles, or described
Paul as doing what he possibly could
not have done. But Pfeiderer, who
makes the Book of Acts tendency
writing, does not see the force of
some of these objections. According
to Baur, Swegler and Zeller, Paul
becomes in the Book of Acts JUDAH
ing Christian, while Peter and James
are converted into Pauline Christians,
and the Acts is regarded as work
written with the express purpose of
reconciling the two parties, by max
ing mutual concessions. In it Paul
is Peterfed, and Peter is Paulfed. 1t
is considered by Baur systematic
attempt to gloss over the differences