Is Modern Orthodoxy Moving Towards an Acceptance of Biblical Criticism?

Ever since the rise of modern biblical scholarship the traditional view of complete Mosaic authorship has been under assault. Despite the uniform academic rejection of the traditional view, Orthodox theology has, based on dogma, denied the validity of modern biblical scholarship. In this, there has been no difference between haredi Judaism and Modern Orthodoxy. This has been seen in literally hundreds of polemics and apologetics and in the hightly publicized Louis Jacobs’ Affair in which a traditional rabbi in London was forced to leave the Orthodox United Synagogue on account of his acceptance of modern biblical scholarship

In recent years this united opposition to modern biblical scholarship has begun to break down. This has the potential, for one segment of traditional Judaism, to be the most significant theological change in hundreds of years. This paper explores what led to this development, unimaginable even twenty years ago, what some of the advocates of theological change have been arguing, and why they have found a receptive audience among some Modern Orthodox Jews.