The Role of Ancient Narratives in Faith Development

The Bible is full of great narratives. Writers of biblical narratives freely implemented the basic components of contemporary story-telling such as plot, tension and resolution. The biblical writers weren't just spewing out theological truths. They utilized the best literary tools available in their societies. Psalmists used parallelism, acrostics and other highly refined poetic skills. Prophets spoke with hyperbole and syllogism (of a sort) to communicate their messages. Narrators who authored books like Genesis, Exodus, and Kings did the same.

What do I mean that the Bible is full of narratives? Story (or narrative) and history are not two separate poles. Rather, people generally recall history through the means of stories. Stories necessarily include the perspectives and interpretations of the story-tellers, but this does not make stories fictional.

Theology must shape the local Christian community. I believe that ancient faith narratives are absolutely critical in development of vibrant, local theologies. This cannot happen, however, when a church reads the narratives of scripture in a purely apologetic or historical manner Reduced to this level, the ancient story-tellers become mere propagators of "facts" that we seek to prove. Instead, we should view these narrators as preachers and teachers whose stories have the power to shape our faith and our worldview.

We can experience the liberating power of God through ancient stories like the Exodus account. The ancient narrator brought that story to life in a way that speaks even into the world of today's reader. In order for the reader to grasp the theology of this narrative, he/she must approach the story as a living entity, not as dead history. By doing so, the reader can become a participant in the story. From this vantage point, the reader experiences the divine perspective presented by the narrator.

This allows the narrative to become a living witness to the working of God in the world. Change happens in the life of the reader when the divine story becomes relevant to today in ways that extend beyond questions of historicity.

Exodus has too often been reduced to an apologetic discussion about the truth or fiction of the actual exodus event. This misses the fact that the purpose of Exodus is primarily polemical, not historical. The book’s primary function is not to record history but to explain and exhort a later generation. The reader must decide for himself/herself whether or not history must be fabricated to serve as a living narrative for later generations.

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