▁Its ▁orig ins ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁views ▁of ▁script ure ▁as ▁sacred ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁literary ▁critics ▁who ▁began ▁to ▁influence ▁bib lic al ▁scholar ship ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁Can on ical ▁criticism ▁respond ed ▁to ▁two ▁things : ▁ 1 ) ▁the ▁sense ▁that ▁bib lic al ▁criticism ▁had ▁obsc ured ▁the ▁meaning ▁and ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁canon ▁of ▁script ure ; ▁and ▁ 2 ) ▁the ▁fundamental ism ▁in ▁the ▁Christian ▁Church ▁that ▁had ▁ar isen ▁in ▁America ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁Can on ical ▁criticism ▁does ▁not ▁reject ▁historical ▁criticism ▁and ▁soci ological ▁analysis , ▁but ▁cons iders ▁them ▁secondary ▁in ▁importance . ▁ ▁Can on ical ▁critics ▁believe ▁the ▁texts ▁should ▁be ▁treated ▁with ▁respect ▁as ▁the ▁canon ▁of ▁a ▁bel ieving ▁community . ▁Can on ical ▁critics ▁use ▁the ▁tools ▁of ▁bib lic al ▁criticism ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁books ▁of ▁the ▁Bible , ▁but ▁approach ▁the ▁books ▁as ▁whole ▁units . ▁They ▁take ▁the ▁books ▁as ▁finished ▁works ▁and ▁treat ▁each ▁book ▁as ▁a ▁unity , ▁instead ▁of ▁taking ▁them ▁apart ▁and ▁foc using ▁on ▁isolated ▁pieces . ▁This ▁begins ▁from ▁the ▁position ▁that ▁script ure ▁contains ▁within ▁it ▁what ▁is ▁needed ▁to ▁understand ▁it , ▁rather ▁than ▁being ▁understand able ▁only ▁as ▁the ▁product ▁of ▁a ▁histor ically ▁determined ▁process . ▁ ▁Can on ical ▁criticism