Examining The Narratives Of Old Testament Narrative: An Exploration In Biblical Theology -- By: Paul R. House

Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 67:2 (Fall 2005)
Article: Examining The Narratives Of Old Testament Narrative: An Exploration In Biblical Theology
Author: Paul R. House


Examining The Narratives Of Old Testament Narrative:
An Exploration In Biblical Theology

Paul R. House

Paul R. House is Associate Dean and Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. An earlier form of this article was presented at the eastern regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Calvary Church, Souderton, Pa., 1 April 2005.

For many years now experts have been discussing ways that narrative approaches to theology may help postmodern readers understand the Bible in fresh ways.1 In the fields of Old Testament Theology and Biblical Theology (which I define as treatments of the whole of scripture instead of one testament or the other) several recent volumes utilize techniques associated with narrative studies to make theological statements. For example, Stephen Dempster and John Goldingay use literary criticism such as that advocated by Robert Alter and others in their treatments of the wholeness of the Old Testament.2 Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen do the same in their analysis of the whole “Biblical Story,” as do C. Marvin Pate, J. Scott Duvall, and the other authors of The Story of Israel: A Biblical Theology.3 Though some scholars may sever historical and literary concerns, V. Phillips Long has argued correctly that some of the types of criticism employed by literary critics can be applied to Old Testament narratives and to other historically accurate texts without impugning those texts’ accuracy or authority.4 Long’s work is very important at this point, since evangelicals should be wary of methods that do not take biblical inspiration into account. Carl Henry was right to make this point in his 1985 dialogue with Hans Frei.5

Long’s assertion has support in other disciplines. Indeed, no less prominent historian than George Marsden states in his 2003 biography of Jonathan Edwards that historians need to tell their subject’s story in an interesting way:

The first goal of a biographer, it seems to me, should be to tell a good story that illuminates not only the subject, but also the landscapes surrounding that person and the horizons of the readers. Unlike specialized studies that analyze every intellectual issue and historical debate, much of the illumination should come simply from the telling of a story. That story should reveal a real person whose successes were achieved in the midst of anxieties, weaknesses, ...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()