Narrative Criticism of the New Testament: An IntroductionNarrative criticism, which involves the application of literary critical methods to the study of Scripture, is a promising hermeneutical approach. Surprisingly, however, little has been written that surveys the field for a broader audience. James Resseguie's primer admirably fills that gap. Readers will discover here a particularly well-balanced introduction to the subject. For those concerned with theoretical issues, there is a thorough survey of methodology, critical concepts, and the significance of literary devices. Numerous examples illustrate the fruitfulness of literary approaches for interpreting particular texts. Following an introduction that identifies the methods of narrative criticism and distinguishes them from other hermeneutical approaches, Resseguie devotes chapters to the principal elements of narrative: setting, point of view, character, rhetoric, plot, and reader. For each, he offers practical examples of how a "close reading" of the text can discover important nuances and insights. Resseguie points out that narrative criticism has the advantage of dealing with the text as a self-contained unit, avoiding the fragmentation often produced by other methodologies. |
Contents
List of Illustrations | 9 |
Abbreviations | 15 |
Rhetoric | 41 |
Setting | 87 |
Character | 121 |
Point of View | 167 |
Plot | 197 |
Applying Narrative Criticism | 241 |
Bibliography | 255 |
273 | |
282 | |
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Common terms and phrases
actions Albrecht Dürer Apocalypse authorities Babylon BDAG beast Biblical Narrative Book of Revelation bread chapter character characterization Christ close reading clothes Commentary conflict darkness David Rhoads death Defamiliarization disciples divine double entendre earth faith Fortress Fourth Gospel God’s Gospel of John Gospel of Luke healing heaven Ibid ideological perspective ideological point inner instance interpretation irony Israel Israelites Jerusalem Jesus John’s JSNTSup Judas Judas’s king Literary Literature Luke Luke’s MacGuffin Mark’s Markan Mary Matt Matthew meaning Messiah metaphor Minneapolis Narrative Criticism narrator narrator’s Nicodemus Nicodemus’s norms NRSV parable Peter Pharisees point of view priest and Levite primacy primacy effect Reader-Response Criticism recency effect religious Resseguie rhetorical Samaritan Satan scene setting Sheffield social speech spiritual Strange Gospel structure symbolic temple temporal Testament theme theological tomb traits type-scenes U-shaped plot understanding University Press verbal thread Westminster John Knox woman words Zacchaeus