Brevard Childs' canonical approach : an evaluation of its main elements

This thesis aims to provide an evaluation of Brevard Childs' canonical approach, which is an approach to Theological Interpretation that aims to utilise the Bible as a vehicle to know the Christian God. This thesis is located in the academic discipline of Biblical Studies and has a substantial lean towards Old Testament (hereafter 'OT')/Hebrew Bible (hereafter 'HB') Studies as this was Childs' specialism and is also mine today. This thesis was not initially devoted to a study of Childs' approach, but his approach is so extensive that it warrants a thesis in itself. My argument is twofold: (i) Childs' approach consists of three main elements that were variously developed and implemented over time, and (ii) these elements, though rich and informed, ultimately fail to complete the aim that Childs set out to achieve. Regarding originality, this thesis introduces the idea that Childs' canonical approach is composed of these three main elements and provides what I hope is the most detailed evaluation of Childs' approach in light of Biblical Studies. A conclusion was established by firstly identifying that the canonical approach consists of three main elements. I then undertook detailed analyses of each of these elements and evaluated them in accordance with their reasonableness and in light of the evidence from Biblical Studies. This thesis is structured in two parts. Part A aims to provide the reader with a helpful foundation before one engages in a detailed study of Childs' canonical approach. Part B is then the main body of the thesis which analyses and evaluates each of the approach's main elements.