The British Assault on the Higher Criticism: A. H. Sayce and E. B. Pusey

The relationship between religion and science became a dominant topic in late-Victorian Britain.  The advancements made in the areas of biology, chemistry and geology impacted not only the pure sciences but also the social sciences and historical interpretations.  This is exemplified in the debate over biblical authenticity and biblical history.  After 1860 higher criticism became a prominent topic of discussion for intellectuals and theologians in Britain.  Higher criticism, which is the textual analysis of ancient texts—in this case the bible—to determine authorship and date, was viewed by some British religious intellectuals as a German tool used to under-mind the bible.  Two prominent opponents of German higher criticism were Rev. Archibald Henry Sayce (1845-1933) and his mentor Edward B. Pusey (1800-1882).  This proposed paper will examine the similarities and differences between Pusey and Sayce and analyze their contributions to the debate over higher criticism. 

Both men believed that higher criticism weakened Christianity and relegated the Old Testament to a collection of fables.  Pusey, an Oxford educator, worked to counter the effects of higher criticism in Britain by employing theological arguments to combat higher critics.  This is exemplified in his attack on the writers of the very controversial Essays and Reviews (1860).  Pusey’s friend, Oxford colleague, and one time student A. H. Sayce believed that philology in combination with history and archeology provided the evidence necessary to prove the accuracy of biblical texts and disprove higher critics.  Relying on his knowledge of Assyriology, Sayce employed a ‘scientific’ approach by using archeological discoveries and historical interpretations along with philology to validate the bible.  Even though Pusey and Sayce used different approaches to defend the same argument, Pusey’s influence on Sayce’s opinions of higher criticism are indelible.