▁as ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁the ▁author . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁literature ▁scholar ▁Robert ▁Alter ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁bib lic al ▁literary ▁criticism ▁by ▁publishing ▁an ▁influ ential ▁analysis ▁of ▁bib lic al ▁them es ▁from ▁a ▁literary ▁perspective . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁formal ism , ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁plot , ▁structure , ▁character ▁and ▁them es . ▁Re ader - response ▁criticism , ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁reader ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁author , ▁was ▁put ▁forward ▁by ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament ▁scholar ▁David ▁M . ▁G unn ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁New ▁Testament ▁scholar ▁Donald ▁Gut hr ie ▁highlight s ▁a ▁f law ▁in ▁the ▁literary ▁critical ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁G osp els . ▁The ▁genre ▁of ▁the ▁G osp els ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁fully ▁determined . ▁No ▁conclus ive ▁evidence ▁has ▁yet ▁been ▁produced ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁genre , ▁and ▁without ▁genre , ▁no ▁ade qu ate ▁par alle ls ▁can ▁be ▁found , ▁and ▁without ▁par alle ls ▁" it ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁to ▁what ▁extent ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁literary ▁criticism ▁are ▁applicable ." ▁The ▁valid ity ▁of ▁using ▁the ▁same ▁critical ▁methods ▁for ▁nov els ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁G osp els , ▁without ▁the ▁ass urance ▁the ▁G osp els ▁are ▁actually ▁nov els , ▁must ▁be ▁question ed . ▁ ▁Types ▁of ▁literary ▁criticism ▁ ▁Can on ical ▁criticism ▁has ▁both ▁the ological ▁and ▁literary ▁roots .