Manual of Textual Analysis offers a groundbreaking approach to textual analysis, specifically tailored to address the intricate challenges presented by the transmission and evolution of texts like the Greek New Testament. The methodology introduced here departs from traditional systems, redefining the principles and techniques used to trace the genealogy of texts and their underlying ideas. While indebted to earlier methods such as Karl Lachmann's genealogical approach, Dom Henri Quentin's principle of exclusion, and Sir Walter Greg's calculus of variants, this work goes beyond their limitations to offer a comprehensive and logical framework for analyzing textual relationships.

Central to this manual is the distinction between the text itself—a mental construct—and the manuscript as its physical carrier. This conceptual separation allows for a more nuanced understanding of textual evolution, especially in cases involving conflation or complex genealogical structures. With an emphasis on simplicity and clarity, the manual introduces new principles of exclusion and dating that make even the most intricate textual variations accessible for analysis. This work is an essential guide for scholars and students of textual criticism, providing tools to approach manuscripts with precision, evaluate their interrelations, and reconstruct their historical contexts. Rich with examples and enriched by contributions from experts across disciplines, it serves as a definitive resource for both foundational study and advanced research in textual analysis.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1959.