Why Narrative Theology Matters
I mentioned earlier that I've been working a bit on a side project involving narrative theology. On a mostly unrelated note, I've also been listening to a few of NT Wright's recent lectures, which have been absolutely fantastic (not that this should come as any great surprise). These have meshed well with some of my recent rantings, in particular those related to the idea of New Creation. This idea, this theme that unfolds marvelously in the scriptures, unfortunately often gets shortchanged in western Christianity, heavily influenced by Platonic ideas of the duality of spirit and matter. As a result, this idea of New Creation tends to show up more often as the epilogue, instead of as a significant theme in its own right.
Put simply - I don't think it's possible to have a robust, biblical theology that doesn't incorporate this idea of New Creation. I don't think that we can talk about sin, or about atonement, or about ecclesiology, or about justice, or about discipleship, or about leadership and service, or about, well, pretty much anything that's worth talking about from a theological standpoint without somehow connecting to the idea of New Creation.
Here is where I find that a narrative approach to scripture comes into its own: I find that this theme (among others) works much better if it's seen as just that - a theme - rather than as a doctrine. As a doctrine, we can catalog all of the passages that reference it, construct some general statements about it, and perhaps find some connecting points with other doctrines. Please don't misunderstand - I'm not knocking doctrine. It serves a specific and vital function, and I would never want to discard it. But constructing doctrines out of things, in the sense of saying what we do or don't believe about the New Creation (or other themes), isn't always the most beneficial approach. A narrative approach sees instead the New Creation as the climax of the story. It is the telos, or end, towards which the narrative progresses. In other words, we see the echoes of New Creation all over the scriptures - it is the focal point that brings the rest of the story into clarity. But it doesn't function like that for us, for those of us who have grown up in a tradition influenced by Enlightenment's neo-Platonic categories. It isn't the driving force behind our theology; it isn't the climax of the narrative; in many cases, it's simply absent, replaced by either some goofy sense of human progress or a disturbing sense of immanent doom and destruction.
Over the next few posts, I want to explore what it might mean to allow our theologies to embrace a robust understanding of and hope for the New Creation. I think that it may provide resources for us to imagine in new ways what it might mean to be the people of God - and provide a new approach for a way-of-being in the world.
Technorati Tags: narrative, new creation
Scott,
I'm looking forward to this series. We're both big fans of NT Wright, and yes (YES!), the theme of New Creation is the telos of the story.
Doctrine is a topical, systematic, analytical thing. I think it has its place.
But the Bible is narrative - it tells the grand story of Creation, Fall and New Creation. When we place ourselves in the story, it no longer is dry theology, but a living, vibrant way of life...a way of being, not just a way of thinking.
Posted by Bob Robinson on June 29, 2007 12:41 PMBob - glad you're looking forward to it! I agree - I'm all for maintaining doctrine as an integral part of our Christian experience. But narrative, I think, opens the scriptures in what has been for me an exciting new way. Hopefully some of that will come out in this series! Thanks for the thoughts!
Posted by ScottB on July 1, 2007 11:57 PMYou can put me on the "looking forward to this series" list as well...
"explore what it might mean to allow our theologies to embrace a robust understanding of and hope for the New Creation. I think that it may provide resources for us to imagine in new ways what it might mean to be the people of God - and provide a new approach for a way-of-being in the world."
Amen to that! I can't wait to hear what you've got to say on this topic... This line of thinking is consuming me as of late, but I don't have anyone that even really gets it. Honestly, I don't even understand all the ramifications yet, but I can just feel it in my bones that it's important, and potentially life-changing...
I'm really looking forward to hearing what you've got to say!
Posted by curtis on July 9, 2007 01:59 PMcurtis - have you read anything by NT Wright? He's been a primary inspiration for my line of thinking here. I'd recommend taking a look at his site as well (it's in my links on the right). Hope you enjoy the series!
Posted by ScottB on July 9, 2007 11:20 PMScott-
I've read a few of his papers online, and they've been GREAT. I need to pick up a book of his sometimes, have a recommendation?
The more I find out about him, the more I find that he's influenced a lot of the people that I really resonate with... He's exploring some really fascinating stuff as far as I can tell.
Posted by curtis on July 10, 2007 10:09 AMgreat pts. i just read your other post about narrative theology, and i think you really clarify and supplement your former post very well.
i am a recent reader of NT Wright, but i have really enjoyed reading his stuff. i think he has an amazing fresh perspective which is simultaneously "orthodox" and not dogmatic.
peter
Posted by pbandj on July 11, 2007 11:44 PMcurtis - Some great intro books that give you a good feel for his thoughts are Simply Christian or The Challenge of Jesus. I'd also recommend Evil and the Victory of God, The Last Word, and Jesus and the Victory of God (the last is pretty thick but excellent).
peter - thanks for the thoughts. As I get a chance to post more thoughts on this, hopefully the picture will fill out even more. ;)
Posted by ScottB on July 14, 2007 01:16 AMScott-
Thanks for the recommendations!!! That should be enough to tide me over for a long time... I read slowly ;)
Thanks!
Posted by curtis on July 16, 2007 12:20 PMI did a search on "new creation theology" because the results for "renewed creation theology" didn't get many results, and this posting came up. I like the sound of "renewed creation"; it seems to keep the idea of continuity between this age and the age to come. I've been reading a lot of Tom Wright over the last two years and have been having a big shift taking place in my thinking about heaven, earth, their interaction, the future of humanity, the world and creation, and of our place in making that future and in sharing in it with God. So, I'm really excited to find this site and your posts and look forward to reading and imagining more. I actually had a chance to do some teaching on the subject in an adult sunday school class at my church, it's a PCA, and I got a lot of positive feed back and rocked the boat a little in the process. Thanks for the writing. Any other recommendations of authors that deal with this topic of renewed and new creation theology? I've heard the Eastern Orthodox tradition keeps this as a main focus in a lot of their thinking and practice. I'm sure they have a store of treasures just waiting to be explored.
Andre
andre -
To be honest, Wright is the one who started me thinking along these lines. I just haven't found that much in the way of other folks thinking in this direction. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember enjoying Polkinghorne's The God of Hope and the End of the World; he deals with the subject from a thoroughly scientific perspective and develops it in some interesting directions. I wouldn't give it an unqualified recommendation and it's a bit dense but there's something in there worth reading, I think. Volf picks up some of these themes but from a social standpoint, which isn't quite where I'm headed but still helpful. It's a bit baffling to me, to be honest, but there it is - not much stuff floating around that I know about, although I'm sure there's some that I don't. ;)
