Zeal For Truth

Narrative theology is the idea that “Christian theology’s use of the Bible should focus on a narrative representation of the faith rather than the development of a set of propositions deduced from the data of revelation.¹” Theologians in the Neo-orthodox and Post-liberal traditions developed it in the 20th century.

The Bible is seen as the story of God’s interaction with his people. This does not mean that the Bible doesn’t make propositional truth claims, but that the primary purpose of scripture is to record the relationship between God and his people (and how we today can continue in this story) more than detailing a systematic theology. One result of this, is that narrative theology is less likely to pull verse out of context to support doctrinal positions.

Narrative Theology in the Emerging Church
Perhaps the most obvious influence of narrative theology in the Emerging Church is the distrust and relatively low regard for systematic theology that many have. This is because systematic theologies tend to say more than what scripture actually says, and sometimes produces a very logically consistent theology that doesn’t do justice to the nuances in scripture.

Another influence of narrative theology is that it strengthens the value of community. In modern times, people have to often made Christianity into an individual faith, but the Bible’s story of God’s relationship to his people reminds us that community is essential.

The last influence from narrative theology I wish to mention is an increased attention to the story texts in scripture, especially the Gospels. As other groups (unwittingly) emphasize the propositional parts of scripture, especially the Pauline letters, many in the Emerging Church tend to focus more on the gospels. One important aspect of this, is the much greater attention paid to Jesus’ teaching concerning the Kingdom of Heaven than it typically receives from Evangelical circles.