In this series, we have explored several key aspects of narrative analysis. A few conclusive thoughts on how this type of study fits into the interpretation of Scripture are helpful. Likewise, some final considerations regarding our need of God are necessary. When we perform a narrative analysis on a biblical passage, it is important to keep
Reason and Scripture I have often heard conversations on biblical interpretation that placed reason and Scripture in opposition. Generally, I see this as an attempt to keep at bay the influence of modernist rationalism, which aims to make human reason the final arbiter of knowledge. Rationalism fits best in a deistic religious framework, in which t
Allusions and quotes are a common indicator of intertextuality in Scripture, and finding the connecting passage helps bring out the depth of the message. A quote is a clear indication that both the text including it and the text quoted, need to be understood in relation to each other. This does not mean that without exploring the quote in it
Intercalations The term “intercalation” refers both to the writing technique by which an author inserts a story within another story, and the bracketed story itself. “Intercalation” is used interchangeably with “sandwich,” “interpolation,” and “interposition,” though scholars argue in favor of one or another for a more nuanced definition. An interc
The most common literary structures in the Bible are chiastic structures and panel structures. These can be found in small units (such as verses), individual narratives (such as a miracle story), or can extend over several chapters, books, and even several books. Composite structures include both chiastic and panel structures, as we will see in an
Metaphor A metaphor is “a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some common characteristics. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics.”[1] The Bible includes many metaphors,
Repetition is the most frequently-used literary technique in Hebrew writing. As Robert Alter suggests, this is partly due to the fact that the stories compiled into Scripture were originally meant to be read aloud before the original audience.[1] Unlike a written narrative, where you can go back and review some missed points, in an oral exposition
Not every story includes a prop, but when it does, it is worth our time to pay attention to it, and to ask why it might have been mentioned. With a couple examples, I hope to illustrate the potential significance of a prop when analyzing a story. Example #1: Peter Denying Christ Our first illustration comes from the book of John. In 18:18. Jesus ha
Along with spatial markers, temporal markers contour the background to a story. Anything that answers the question “when/how long” is a temporal marker. For example: at that time, the following day, as he was coming, two years. Temporal settings also make reference to various background aspects: socio-economic (time of sheepshearers), political (wh
In a narrative, the characters move and speak within the spatial and temporal boundaries of a setting, which make up the background of the story. Any answer to the question “where” is a spatial marker–for example: Jerusalem, in the house, outside, away, here. Spatial settings can be geographical (on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza), topographical (
