From Tradition to Gospel

From Tradition to Gospel is a seminal work by German biblical scholar Martin Dibelius, published in 1919. It is a key text in the development of form criticism, a method of biblical analysis that examines the literary forms and historical contexts of the texts.1

Dibelius proposed that the earliest form of the Gospels consisted of short sermons. He argued that the needs of the early Christian community influenced the development of written Gospels from these oral preachings. His analysis also suggested that the author of the Acts of the Apostles may have been a companion of St. Paul and had access to written records. Dibelius's work focused on tracing the origins of ethical statements in early Christian writings and was widely translated and influential.1