History of the Synoptic Tradition

Rudolf Bultmann's History of the Synoptic Tradition (1921) is a foundational work in New Testament scholarship. It analyzes the traditional material used by the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tracing its history before their compilation.1

Bultmann's work is a key example of form criticism, a method that examines the different literary forms within the Gospels and their original contexts within the early church. This approach helps scholars understand how the traditions about Jesus were shaped and transmitted orally before being written down. The Synoptic problem, concerning the literary relationships between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, has been a central focus of such studies, with the two-source hypothesis (Mark as the earliest source used by Matthew and Luke) being a widely accepted solution.23