This genre includes the Gospels, which are biographical narratives about Jesus, and the books of Ruth, Esther, and Jonah. A reader may find bits of other genres within the Gospels, such as parable (Luke 8:1-15) and discourse (Matthew 24). The book of Ruth is a perfect example of a well-crafted short story, amazing in its succinctness and structure.
Points concerning narratives:
- Biblical narratives are theological history
- The meaning derives primarily from action of the characters
- Not all of the human characters are “good” models for us
- God is often the central character in the story
- Narrative episodes are usually longer in the OT than NT
- Literary features of OT narrative: plot, setting, characters, viewpoint of narrator, comparison/contrast, and irony.
Possible modern techniques: Redaction, Source Criticism, Form Criticism,
Structural analysis
Stylistic analysis
Redaction analysis
Exegetical analysis - sitz im leben
Theological analysis
contextualization
