What are the problems with the historical-critical approach?
Though the historical-critical approach is a legitimate study, it carries potential dangers. It places upon the teacher, and ultimately the student, the problem of deciding which scholars should be heeded. Since modern critical scholarship changes from generation to generation, the question needs to be asked how a high school English teacher can be expected to lead students in deciding which scholars are “correct.” Religious interpretations hang on which scholars are followed, thus it is difficult to enter these areas without violating differing religious interpretations and beliefs. Since public school teachers are neither proving, nor disproving, the high school teacher who chooses this approach skates on thin ice. Under this ice lie the forbidden waters of either affirming or disclaiming the Bible writings and biblical religions. A comparison of other cultures will demonstrate the difficulty of meeting the educational needs of high school students using the first approach. Imagine a
