Q Narrative Criticism - Lutheran Theological Seminary at …€¦ · · 2007-03-13Form Criticism Q Historical Jesus Oral Traditions of ... • First or third person • How knowledgeable

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Narrative CriticismNarrative Criticism

seeMark Allan Powell

What Is Narrative Criticism?

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Gospel Gospel of Markof Mark

Textual Textual CriticismCriticism

Manuscript Manuscript TraditionsTraditions

Historical Historical JesusJesus

Oral Traditions of Oral Traditions of Early ChurchEarly Church

Gospel Gospel of Lukeof Luke

Gospel Gospel of of

MatthewMatthew

Source Source CriticismCriticism

Redaction Redaction CriticismCriticism

Form Form CriticismCriticism

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Gospel Gospel of of

MatthewMatthew

Source Source CriticismCriticism

Redaction Redaction CriticismCriticism

Form Form CriticismCriticism


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Narrative Narrative CriticismCriticism




Literary Literary CriticismCriticism

••Focus on finished form Focus on finished form of textof text

••Emphasis on unity of Emphasis on unity of text as a wholetext as a whole

••Understanding text as Understanding text as an end in itselfan end in itself

••Basis on Basis on communication models communication models of speechof speech--act theoryact theory

Gospel Gospel of of

MatthewMatthew

ReaderReaderTextTextAuthorAuthor

ImpliedReaderNarrativeImplied

Author

NarrateeStoryNarrator

Reader Response Criticism Narrative CriticismNarrative Criticism

Point of ViewPoint of View• One way implied author influences reader’s

apprehension of text is by insisting that the reader adopt a point of view consistent with the narrative

• God’s or Satan’s (or thinking “human things)• God’s point of view can be expressed reliably through

angels, prophets, miracles, dreams, and Scripture• The creation of a narrative world in which God’s

evaluative point of view can be determined and must be accepted as normative is a powerful rhetorical device.

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NarrationNarration• First or third person• How knowledgeable• How reliable• How intrusive

• Third person, omniscient narration creates a “God perspective” of the story

Narrative CriticismNarrative CriticismSymbolismSymbolism• Implies a recognition that something means

more than it initially appears to mean• Archetypal symbols (light/dark)• Symbols of ancestral vitality (#12)• Symbols created by implied author (fig tree)• Symbols of cultural range (fox…)

Luke 13:31-33 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.'


IronyIrony• Implies that true interpretation is actually

contrary to the apparent meaning• Verbal Irony or Situational (Dramatic) Irony


Symbolism and IronySymbolism and Irony• Reader rejects literal meaning in response to

internal/external clues.• Tries out alternative explanations• Evaluates these in terms of beliefs about author• Makes a decision based on assumed intentions

of author


Narrative PatternsNarrative Patterns• Repetition, contrast, comparison, causation,

climax, interrogation, inclusio, interchange, interchange, chiasm, intercalationFor example:– Two feeding of the multitude stories– Mark 5.21-43 – Jairus’ daughter and woman with flow

of blood– Mark 11.13-25 – Fig tree and cleansing of Temple


Events and PlotEvents and PlotCharactersCharactersSettingsSettings

The author makes decisions about how each of these will be presented.

These decisions do make a difference in how the reader perceives the narrative.

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A Narrative Method A Narrative Method for Interpreting Markfor Interpreting Mark

MarkMark as Storyas Story

Events and PlotEvents and PlotCharactersCharactersSettingSettingNarratorNarratorRhetoricRhetoric

These are the elements that are considered when doing Narrative Criticism

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ReaderReader--Response Response CriticismCriticism




Gospel Gospel of of

MatthewMatthew

Literary Literary CriticismCriticism

There’s this guy who dies and...

Discourse Discourse (Rhetoric)(Rhetoric)

StoryStory

DiscourseDiscourse

•How the story is told

StoryStory

•What is said

DiscourseDiscourse


•How it affects the hearer

StoryStory

•What is said

•Characters, events, places

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DiscourseDiscourse


•How it affects the hearer

•Attention to temporal experience

of reading

StoryStory

•What is said

•Characters, events, places

•Attention to how story turns out

The The Gospel of Gospel of

MarkMark

Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222217 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him,

and asked him, "Good Teacher,

what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222218 Jesus said to him,

"Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222218 Jesus said to him,

"Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

19You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder;

You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal;

You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud;

Honor your father and mother.'"

Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222220 He said to him,

"Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth."

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Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222221 Jesus, looking at him,


loved him and said,


loved him and said, "You lack one thing;

go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

Mark 10:17Mark 10:17--222222 When he heard this,

he … was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.


he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.


he was shocked and went away grieving,for he had many possessions.

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he was shocked and went away grieving,for he had many possessions.

The rhetorical / persuasive techniques of the narrative creates opportunities for

the reader to ‘invest’ in the story

That is, the reader is being persuaded to believe that the story is true

In the Gospel of MarkIn the Gospel of Mark

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--2020

Parable of the Parable of the SowerSower and the and the

SeedSeed

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--20201Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat

there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2He

began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he

said to them:

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--2020

3“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--20204And as he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly,

since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it,

and it yielded no grain. 8Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

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Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--2020

9And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear

listen!”

What does it mean?

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--20204And as he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly,

since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it,

and it yielded no grain. 8Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

When he was alone, those who were around him

along with the twelveasked him about the parables.

Mark 4.10Mark 4.10

“To you has been given the secret of the dominion of God,

but for those outside, everything comes in parables;

Mark 4.11Mark 4.11

What “secret of the dominion of God”?When was it given?

Does this mean that I am an outsider?

… in order that 'they may indeed look,

but not perceive,and may indeed listen,

but not understand; so that they may not turn again

and be forgiven.'"

Mark 4.12Mark 4.12

As the reader, what is at stake? What are the consequences of being an outsider?

And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?

Then how will you understand all the parables?

Mark 4.13Mark 4.13

So, then, are the disciples in or out?Am I in or out?

Was Jesus being ironic in verses 11-12?

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Mark 4.14Mark 4.14--202014The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is

sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones

sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root, and endure only

for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these

are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth,

and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing.

Mark 4.1Mark 4.1--2020

20And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear

fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

As the reader, As the reader, now where does this leave you?now where does this leave you?

““To you has been givenTo you has been giventhe secret of the dominion of God, the secret of the dominion of God,

but for those outside, but for those outside, everything comes in parables;everything comes in parables;

Mark 4.11Mark 4.11

Who do you now understand the “you” to be?How do you know if you are in or out?

What is the appeal of knowing the secret?

Point of view of Narrator (Mark)= Point of view of Jesus

= Point of view of Reader


Mark 9.35Mark 9.35--37 37 and 10.13and 10.13--1616

33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them,

"What were you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they were silent,

for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.

Mark 9.35Mark 9.35--37 37 and 10.13and 10.13--1616

35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,

"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."

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Mark 9.35Mark 9.35--37 37 and 10.13and 10.13--1616

36Then he took a little child and put it among them;

and taking it in his arms, he said to them,

37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me

welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Mark Mark 9.359.35--37 and37 and 10.1310.13--161613 People were bringing little children to him

in order that he might touch them; and the disciples

Mark Mark 9.359.35--37 and37 and 10.1310.13--161613 People were bringing little children to him

in order that he might touch them; and the disciples

spoke sternly to them.

Mark Mark 9.359.35--37 and37 and 10.1310.13--161614 But when Jesus saw this,

he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me;

do not stop them; for it is to such as these

that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive

the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."

16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

REPETITIONprovides the reader additional

perspective that brings the Narrator, Jesus, and the Reader

into even closer relationship


Mark 6.34Mark 6.34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

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Mark 6.35Mark 6.35--4444When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." 37 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?">>> 5000 men fed

Mark 8.1Mark 8.1--1010In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way--and some of them have come from a great distance." 4 His disciples replied, "How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?">>> 4000 people fed

Mark 8.1-10In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way--and some of them have come from a great distance." 4 His disciples replied,

"How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?"

>>> 4000 people fed

How do these two accounts of the feeding function in the story?

How do these two accounts of a miraculous feeding function in the

discourse?

The use of NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

brings the Narrator, Jesus, and the Reader


In the Gospel of MarkIn the Gospel of Mark Mark 14:32Mark 14:32--373732 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he

said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 He took with him Peter and James and John,

and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them,

"I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake."

35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour

might pass from him. 36 He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible;

remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."

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Mark 14:32Mark 14:32--373737 He came and found them sleeping;

and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?

Could you not keep awake one hour?

The use of IRONY and RIDDLES




Mark 15:16Mark 15:16--181816 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the

governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after

twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began saluting him,

"Hail, King of the Jews!"

The use of NARRATIVE INFORMATION




Mark 15.33Mark 15.33--3535

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice,

"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"

Mark 15.33Mark 15.33--3535



"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah."

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Mark 15.33Mark 15.33--3535



"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah."

1The beginning of the good news

of Jesus Christ,

the Son of God.

MarkMark 1.11.1

What do these verses presume about its reader? How much does the reader know?

For whom was this Gospel written and why?

… “does not claim to be history. It is not even referentially oriented. Rather, it is pragmatically or rhetorically oriented. It is not ‘about’ it characters; it is ‘about’its reader. The Gospel writer’s chief

concern is not the fate of either Jesus or the Twelve in the story but the fate of

the reader outside the story.”Robert M. Fowler, Let the Reader Understand, page 50

The Gospel of MarkThe Gospel of Mark

Narrative CriticismNarrative CriticismReader Response CriticismReader Response Criticism

Let the reader understand…

Is this author Is this author trustworthy?trustworthy?

Is this teacher Is this teacher trustworthy?trustworthy?

Documents

Q Narrative Criticism - Lutheran Theological Seminary at …€¦ · · 2007-03-13Form Criticism Q Historical Jesus Oral Traditions of ... • First or third person • How knowledgeable