Academic work comes with a foundation and that foundation is its method.

Yes, I understand. But that's a methodology born from the secular sciences. It does not and never will lead to the same place as the holy science.

My point is that I believe academic Biblical research misses the point. The point being the teachings in the gospels were written by spiritual masters and they need to be put into practice to bear fruit.

Academia gets its authority from a consistent record of uncovering new evidence and interpretations of the evidence that substantively and comprehensively explains that evidence.

I'm saying there is only one authority that matters, so academic Biblical research seems like an oxymoron to me.