Besides learning how to read stories, we need to consider viewing the Bible as a story, with us as participants. I’m sure that others of you have spent more time with “narrative theology”; it’s somewhat new to me. Much of it reminds me of what Tom Olbricht taught so many of us about theology being the story of the mighty acts of God. I think narrative theology builds on that idea, looking at how we fit into that story.

Apparently, Christian Smith’s book The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture moved a lot of people to think about narrative theology. At least it sparked a lot of discussion on the subject.

One blogger who sought to summarize narrative theology is Roger Olson. He boiled his thoughts down to these points:

1. Narrative theology focuses on the Bible as a dramatic account of God’s activity.
2. Narrative theology acknowledges that the Bible contains propositions, but it says biblical propositions are not independent of or superior to the metanarrative of God’s saving activity.
3. A biblical proposition is “God is love” (1 John 4:8), but it needs interpretation. The only way to interpret “God is love” is to look at the biblical story that reveals God’s character through his actions.
4. According to narrative theology, the Bible contains many kinds of statements—commands, propositions, expressions of praise, prayers, poetry, prophecies, parables, etc. All must be interpreted in light of the great story of God and its purpose—to reveal the character of God through his mighty acts leading up to and centering around Jesus Christ.
5. Theology is our best human attempt to understand the biblical drama-story. But a theologian cannot do that properly unless he or she is “living the story” together with a community of faith shaped by the story.
6. Doctrines are secondary to the story. They are judged by their ability to draw out and express faithfully the character of God as revealed by the story.
7. The task of the church is to “faithfully improvise” the “rest of the story.” Christians first must be grounded in the story. Second, they must together (communally) improvise the “rest of the story” faithfully to the story given in the Bible.
8. The alternatives are to either a) regard the Bible as a grab bag of propositions to be pulled out to answer questions, or b) regard the Bible as a not-yet-systematized system of theology (like a philosophy). Both alternatives fail to do justice to what the Bible really is—a grand drama of God’s mighty saving acts that progressively reveals his character culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

I want to explore that some more next week, but for now, let’s hear your thoughts and critiques.