Is the Future of Biblical Theology Story-Shaped?

Abstract

This article explores the concept of story for biblical theology, particularly from the perspective of evangelical scholarship. It is suggested that story offers a framework for biblical theology that avoids undue emphasis on propositional theology and maintains biblical tensions within a plot-focused approach. Additionally, a storied approach to biblical theology resonates with the narrative quality of the biblical text and of human experience and is best pursued via a dynamic hermeneutic. The essay concludes by addressing some weaknesses of the category of story for biblical theology, including its use to avoid historical difficulties, the scholarly tendency toward theological abstraction, and the ethical question of the claim to have sketched the biblical story. In response, dialogue across boundaries, including those of ethnicity, nationality, denomination, and religion, can be a valuable practice to evangelicals and others who see story as a promising category for the future of biblical theology.