Table of Contents

Editor's Foreword

Acknowledgments

1. Scripture as Story

The Bible and Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism and Historical Criticism

2. Ways of Reading

Structuralism

Rhetorical Criticism

Reader-Response Criticism

Narrative Criticism

3. Story and Discourse

Point of View

Narration

Symbolism and Irony

Narrative Patterns

4. Events

A Narrative Understanding of Events

Case Study: The Plot of Matthew

5. Characters

A Narrative Understanding of Characters

Case Study: The Religious Leaders in the Synoptic Gospels

6. Settings

A Narrative Understanding of Settings

Case Study: Settings in the Gospel of Mark

7. Story as Scripture

The Benefits of Narrative Criticism

Objections to Narrative Criticism

An Expanded Hermeneutic

Appendix: Using Narrative Criticism in Exegesis

Abbreviations

Notes

For Further Reading

Part 1: Secular Literary Theory

Part 2: Literary Criticism and Biblical Narrative

About the Author

Mark Allan Powell taught New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary for 32 years. He is author of 40 books on the Bible and editor of the Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary.