Tendenz

In higher criticism, the Tendenz of a literary work is its drift or bias, sometimes also the actual authorial intent. Tendenzkritik is the analysis of a work to determine its aim or purpose.¹ The term comes from the German for "tendency" (itself derived from English or French) and was coined in the 19th century.² It is especially associated with the biblical criticism of F. C. Baur.³

Citations

Soulen & Soulen 2001, p. 187: "Tendenz Criticism (Ger: Tendenzkritik) refers to the analysis of the intention of an author or, more pointedly, to the particular bias with which the author treats his subject matter."
Speake & LaFlaur 1999.
Soulen & Soulen 2001, p. 187: "The term is especially identified with the work of F. C. BAUR (1792-1860), who contended that the Tendenz of the author of the book of Acts was to minimize the differences between Peter and Paul in order to depict the EARLY CHURCH as unified and harmonious."

References

Soulen, Richard N.; Soulen, R. Kendall (2001). Handbook of Biblical Criticism (3rd ed., rev. and expanded ed.). Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 0-664-22314-1.

Speake, Jennifer; LaFlaur, Mark, eds. (1999). "tendenz, noun". The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199891573. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

[FOOTNOTESoulenSoulen2001p._187:_"Tendenz_Criticism_(Ger:_Tendenzkritik)_refers_to_the_analysis_of_the_intention_of_an_author_or,_more_pointedly,_to_the_particular_bias_with_which_the_author_treats_his_subject_matter."-1] Soulen & Soulen 2001, p. 187: "Tendenz Criticism (Ger: Tendenzkritik) refers to the analysis of the intention of an author or, more pointedly, to the particular bias with which the author treats his subject matter."

[FOOTNOTESpeakeLaFlaur1999-2] Speake & LaFlaur 1999.

[FOOTNOTESoulenSoulen2001p._187:_"The_term_is_especially_identified_with_the_work_of_F._C._BAUR_(1792-1860),_who_contended_that_the_Tendenz_of_the_author_of_the_book_of_Acts_was_to_minimize_the_differences_between_Peter_and_Paul_in_order_to_depict_the_EARLY_CHURCH_as_unified_and_harmonious."-3] Soulen & Soulen 2001, p. 187: "The term is especially identified with the work of F. C. BAUR (1792-1860), who contended that the Tendenz of the author of the book of Acts was to minimize the differences between Peter and Paul in order to depict the EARLY CHURCH as unified and harmonious."

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