The Two Spotlights of Inductive Bible Study and Narrative Criticism | 7
The Two Spotlights of Inductive Bible Study and Narrative Criticism Suzanne Nicholson
Asbury University suzanne.nicholson@asbury.edu Abstract Narrative criticism and inductive Bible study share many key features, such as intensive investigation of textual details, recognition of the importance of viewing a book as a whole, and specific techniques for analyzing passages. Biblical narratives do not simply describe the events in the lives of Israelite kings, prophets, or Jesus and the early church. Rather, these highly crafted narratives lead the reader to theological conclusions through creative plot structures, characterizations, point of view, and other tools. Theological truth springs from literary art. When IBS intentionally includes narrative criticism as part of its analysis of biblical narrative, a deeper understanding of the text will emerge. This paper will focus on examples from the Gospels and Acts, with a more detailed look at Acts 15. Keywords: Narrative Criticism, Gospels, Acts, Acts 15
Seeking meaning in a text can sometimes feel like wandering in a dark forest at midnight with nothing but a tiny flashlight. Greater clarity occurs, however, when the explorer brings multiple spotlights to bear
