The Gospels as Stories
By Jeannine Brown, Ph.D.
I wrote my book, The Gospels as Stories, to encourage Christians to read each of the Gospels holistically—as a cohesive narrative from beginning to end. This desire comes from my own transformative experience of reading the Gospels narratively, “as stories.” After an initial chapter where I introduce what this approach might look like in its broad strokes, the book moves along in chapter pairs, exploring the narrative features of plotting (and using Luke’s plot to illustrate), characterization (Matthew on the disciples), intertextuality—or the Gospel writers use of the Old Testament (John on Passover lamb and new creation), and narrative theology (using Mark).
I’d like to share a few excerpts from that final pair of chapters, which introduces narrative theology (ch. 8) and then applies it to Mark’s Gospel (ch. 9).
In chapter eight (“How a Story Theologizes”), I discuss how we come to understand the theology of a Gospel as developed narratively. It can be tempting to “do theology” in a Gospel propositionally. What I wrestle with in chapter eight is how to pay close attention to a Gospel writer’s theologizing in and through the narrative (rather than in spite of it). So, even though this chapter delves into theory, it is, I believe, worth the read. Here’s a peek into chapter eight (pp. 148-149):
As we think about the Gospels as stories, it can be helpful to take a step back and consider how story is a fundamental human category. Human beings experience life as “narratively plotted.” This makes sense of the human predisposition to tell about our lives in story form. As Peter Brooks suggests, “Narrative is one of the ways in which we speak, one of the large categories in which we think.” Stories not only represent our reality, they also help us to understand and speak of our lived experience coherently.
What does this mean for conceiving of the theology of a Gospel? It indicates that the narrative shape of a Gospel is not merely a formal characteristic. Instead, it is an evangelist’s chosen mode for doing theology—for theologizing. A Gospel “is theological because of its narrative shape and not in spite of it.” And narrative allows for greater levels of tension without sacrificing coherence. As John Goldingay notes, “Part of narrative’s genius is its capacity to embrace ambiguity, to discuss complexity, to embrace mystery.” In her work on the narrative theology of Acts, Beverly Gaventa follows the themes of the triumph of God in the gospel and the gospel’s rejection, suggesting that Acts in its narrative development is able to hold both of these motifs in a productive tension. Attending to the shape of the story line for theology honors the complexities and the “rich texture” of narrative.
In the rest of the chapter, I work out and illustrate how we might hear the theologizing of the Gospel writers more clearly.
In chapter nine, I take the theoretical direction of the previous chapter and follow Mark’s theologizing about God across that Gospel. Looking at God through the lens of characterization (and relying on Philip Johnson’s work), I notice how God speaks and acts in significant ways in Mark 1:1-15:
God as the author of the good news about Jesus (Mark 1:14; cf. 1:1)
God who is at the center of the arriving kingdom (Mark 1:15), with the kingdom defined as “God’s benevolent reign now established in this world through the life and ministry of Jesus” (p. 169)
God as the voice from Malachi 3:1 (quoted in Mark 1:2): “I will send my messenger…”
God who tears the heavens to send the Spirit upon Jesus (Mark 1:10) and speaks a word of commendation over Jesus (1:11)
Mark’s early and potent introduction to divine word and action creates readerly expectations for how God will show up in the rest of Mark. Some of these expectations are met. For example, at Jesus’ death God acts in a similar way to Mark 1, tearing the temple curtain (15:38) in a way similar to the heavens being torn at Jesus’ baptism (1:10; with schizō used in both places and nowhere else in Mark).
Yet, unexpectedly, God as character is silent at the end of Mark. Unlike the words of affirmation at 1:11 and 9:7, God’s voice is absent from the scenes at Gethsemane and at Golgotha, even as Jesus cries out to God. What is the theological meaning of this divine silence (though not inactivity)? While I don’t want to give away the whole of my response in the book, here are a few highlights, drawn especially from the work of Philip Johnson, Don Juel, and Laura Sweat.
The substitution of a centurion’s affirmation for what have been God’s words earlier in the narrative seems to place God at something of a distance. Coupled with Jesus’ final words about being forsaken by God, the effect is likely that God becomes more remote to the reader (as for Jesus). Though present, “God is hidden so thoroughly that not even God’s son can perceive the divine presence.” This remoteness has an impact on the implied reader, who has been identifying and sympathizing with Jesus in the passion narrative. And this literary impact has a theological analog: God is experienced paradoxically as present through continued action and revelation and also as increasingly remote as the story progresses, given divine silence. Revelation and hiddenness are both theological realities as the reader reaches Mark 16. [177]
To conclude, here is an excerpt from the last part of chapter nine, after my discussion of the unexpected ending of Mark. The (most likely) final verse of Mark (16:8) characterizes the female followers of Jesus leaving the empty tomb as silent and afraid, a disquieting ending to say the least.
Mark reveals that God is for humanity and creation in the death of Jesus—at the tearing of the temple curtain and in the raising of Jesus from the dead. Yet as the narrative progresses, God acts less frequently, especially in relation to Jesus’ prayers (at Gethsemane and Golgotha), and stops speaking altogether. So in one sense, we could say that God becomes more hidden as the story moves toward its conclusion. By the end of Mark, we can affirm that God is truly revealed in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and that God cannot be fully fathomed or explained. [179]
I find this portrait of God in Mark to be both disquieting and comforting. In my own life experiences of divine silence, I take comfort in Mark’s narrative affirmation that God continues to act, continues to work out our salvation, even if I cannot always see or adequately explain God and God’s work.
Jeannine Brown has focused much of her research and writing on the Gospels, hermeneutics, and interdisciplinary integration. In addition to a book on biblical hermeneutics (Scripture as Communication: Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics, Baker Academic, 2007) and two books on integration, Dr. Brown has published three commentaries on Matthew's Gospel. She is a member of the NIV translation team and is a part of the revision project for the NIV Study Bible, celebrating its 35th year in 2020. Dr. Brown’s current writing projects include commentaries on Philippians (Tyndale series) and 1 Peter (New International Commentary on the New Testament). Nashotah House welcomes Dr. Brown and OnScript podcast this week as they discuss her new book, The Gospel as Stories, published by Baker Academic.