IV. Biblical Storytelling
The topic of biblical storytelling can be approached from several perspectives: that of the biblical authors, who practiced distinctive storytelling techniques; that of modern readers, seeking to retell Bible stories in maximally effective ways; and that of the storyteller, past or present, who retells tales from the Bible for our benefit. The books listed here represent all these perspectives. In subsection A are books on narrative technique in the Bible itself; in subsection B are books about retelling Bible stories (these include histories, guidelines, and anthologies of retold stories).
A. Storytelling in the Bible
Adams, Doug. The Prostitute in the Family Tree: Discovering Humor and Irony in the Bible. Louisville: Westminster, 1997. 127 p. $12.00
It takes fresh eyes to uncover the humor within a book as solemnized as the Bible has become. Doug Adams, who teaches Christianity and the arts at the Pacific School of Religion, uncovers in some of the Bible stories disparities between expectation and reality that he suspects were meant to be funny. Likening these stories to ones the elderly tell about their children to their grandchildren, the author finds Biblical humor in the parables and miracles of Jesus, as well as in stories of Genesis and Exodus.
Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 1981. 195 p. $16.50
This book, now a classic, was one of the first books to bring modern methods of reading fiction to analysis of the Bible. Limiting himself to the Pentateuch and historical writings within Hebrew scripture, the author examines biblical techniques of setting the scene, revealing character, developing plot and dialogue. Two chapters explore the artful use of repetition and reticence in biblical storytelling. Of the stories presented in this year's spiritual growth study, only Joseph's receives extensive analysis here. Robert Alter teaches Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley.
Bar-Efrat, Shimeon. Narrative Art in the Bible. London, England: T&T Clark, 2004. 295 p. $28.95 [1st published in 1989 by Sheffield Academic Press]
The author notes in this scholarly book that over one third of Hebrew scripture is written in the form of narrative. He brings literary methods to bear on reading the stories of the Hebrew Bible, with attention to narrative voice (whether overt or covert), character, plot, time, space, and style. Individual Bible stories are discussed illustratively, but only one receives extended analysis according to the methods the author presents, namely the story of Amnon and Tamar (2 Sam 13:1-22).
Boomershine, Thomas E. Story Journey: An Invitation to the Gospel as Storytelling. Nashville: Abingdon, 1988. 220 p. $21.65
Noting that the Greek word, euangelion, implied an oral (rather than written) communication of "good news", the author aims to recover for readers the original spoken impact of the gospel stories. Spoken words tap emotions in ways written words cannot. He shows the applicability of New Testament stories to various church settings: teaching, studying, pastoral care, etc. Of the ten stories analyzed, two overlap with this year's spiritual growth study: Jesus' childhood (Lk 2:1-20) and the Canaanite woman (Mk 7:24-30). At the time of writing, the author taught at United Theological Seminary.
Dennis, Trevor. Lo and Behold: the Power of Old Testament Storytelling. London: SPCK, 1991. 164 p. Out of print.
The author, who at the time of writing taught Biblical studies at Salisbury Wells Theological College, analyzes a selection of Bible stories, from Genesis to Jonah. Commenting as he goes on plot turn and character delineation, he hopes to awaken in readers less familiar with Hebrew scripture a sense for the overall connectivity of the stories it contains.
Handy, Lowell. Entertaining Faith: Reading Short Stories in the Bible. St. Louis, Mo.: Chalice Pr, 2000. 157 p. $18.99
The author, an independent scholar on staff with the American Theological Library Association, introduces readers to the genre of biblical story, reflecting on its origins in both oral and scribal traditions, and its significance today. With attention to plot, character and setting, he analyzes the stories from the Bible of Jonah, Ruth, Esther and Daniel; and from the apocrypha: Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Judith and Tobit.
Hauerwas, Stanley and L. Gregory Jones, eds. Why Narrative? Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock, 1997. 367 p. $36.00 [1st published by Eerdmans in 1986]
Narrative theology teaches that Christian beliefs find their most effective articulation in story (as opposed to assertion). It provides a context for theorizing about the import of biblical stories for Christian faith. This reader comprises 17 seminal essays in narrative theology, whose beginnings are sometimes traced to an essay by Stephen Crites, "The Narrative Quality of Experience," which appeared in 1970, and is reprinted here. Other reprints come from the work of H. Richard Niebuhr, Hans Frei, and Stanley Hauerwas.
Kam, Rose. Their Stories Our Stories: Women of the Bible. New York: Continuum, 1995. 287 p. Our of print.
Based on a review in Library Journal: This book summarizes and reflects on 36 biblical stories about women. The author provides cultural context for each story and concludes its retelling with a prayer, questions designed to stimulate further thought, and references to related studies on the same story by women writers or scholars.
Kingsbury, Jack Dean. Matthew as Story. Philadelphia: Fortress Pr., 1986. 149 p. $19.00
This book brings literary methods to bear on the plot and character development within Matthew. The author (prof. at Union Theological Seminary, VA) distinguishes between story, which includes plot and character (Jesus, the disciples, the Jewish leaders, the crowds), and discourse, which refers to the presumed teller of the story (the historical author, his self-reconstruction as writer, and the narrator, all of whom may speak in different voices). All the stories from Matthew in this year's study receive brief mention.
Licht, Jacob. Storytelling in the Bible. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1986. 154 p. $15.00
The author, who at the time of writing taught at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, examines story-telling techniques in Hebrew scripture. He notes that three sources of meaning infuse the stories: fiction, history, and tradition. He extracts some general features of the stories: they tend to be self-contained, "highly scenic," and carefully crafted around patterns of repetition and passage of time. However, of the stories told in this year's spiritual growth study, only the Joseph story receives analysis here.
Miles, Jack. God: A Biography. New York: Knopf, 1995. 446 p. $15.00
The occasionally unaccountable actions of the biblical God motivate some of the questions posed in this year's spiritual growth study. This book addresses these questions in a uniquely creative way, by understanding God as a literary character within the stories the Hebrew Bible tells. Working his way through the books of Hebrew scripture, the author, a former Jesuit and widely published writer, characterizes God's personality within each of them, as for, example "Friend of the Family" in Gen 25:12-50:18, "Conqueror" in Judges, and even as "Executioner" in Isaiah.
Minor, Mitzi. The Power of Mark's Story. St. Louis: Chalice Pr, 2001. 124 p. $16.99
Taking her cues from such master story-tellers as Dante, Tolkien, and figures within the Jewish rabbinical tradition, the author reads the gospel of Mark as a journey story. The challenges Jesus faces, and the thresholds he crosses, point to similar stages in our own spiritual journeys. Children symbolize the renunciation of ego that this journey requires: "We only receive the basileia [kingdom] of God when we receive it like children" (p. 116). The author teaches New Testament at Memphis Theological Seminary.
Petersen, John. Reading Women's Stories: Female Characters in the Hebrew Bible. Philadelphia: Fortress, 2003. 224 p. $22.00
Opening with the observation that the "ancient Israelite writers developed storytelling into a rich art," the author brings such literary categories as point of view, plot, character, and setting to bear on the stories of three biblical women: Hannah, Tamar, and Deborah. All three women "show enterprise" (to quote from the title of part III of the spiritual growth study), and children figure importantly in each of their identities (Deborah as "mother of Israel," and Tamar and Hannah as seeking to bear children). The author is professor of religion at Pacific Lutheran University.
Wire, Antoinette Clark. Holy Lives, Holy Deaths: A Close Hearing of Early Jewish Storytellers. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2002. 420 p. $49.95.
Antoinette Clark Wire was a contributor to the 2000-2001 spiritual growth study book, Conflict and Community in the Corinthian Church. In this more recent book, a work of challenging scholarship, she gathers stories from non-canonical biblical literature, the Talmud, midrash, and New Testament, arranges them by principal theme, and analyzes who may have told them and why. She suggests that many of the narrators and retellers of biblical tales in the ancient world were women. Stories analyzed that also appear in this year's study include: the Canaanite woman (Mk 7:24-30), Elijah and the widow's son (1 Kgs 17:1-24), Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11), Jairus' daughter (Matt 9:18-26).
B. Retelling Bible Stories
Baskin, Judith. Midrashic Women: Formations of the Feminine in Rabbinic Literature. Lebanon, N.H.: University Press of New England, 2002. 256 p. $23.95
From Books in Print: In this scholarly study of Jewish midrash, or retelling of Bible stories, "Baskin focuses on the construction of women [in midrashic texts]. Examining rabbinic understandings of the ideal wife, the dilemma of infertility, and women among women and as individuals, Baskin shows that rabbinic Judaism deeply valued the essential contributions of wives and mothers while also consciously constructing women as other and lesser than men." The author teaches Judaic studies at the Univ. of Oregon.
Brenner, Athalya. I am…: Biblical Women Tell Their Own Stories. Minneapolis: Fortress Pr, 2004. 160 p. $17.50
From the publisher's catalog: "Brenner gives voice to many of the otherwise almost voiceless characters of the Hebrew Bible and she allows them to speak in their own voices….The book draws on Brenner's own impressive expertise as well as a broad range of traditional scholarship … and by so doing takes feminist biblical scholarship to a new level." The author is professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Amsterdam.
Cullinan, Colleen Carpenter. Redeeming the Story: Women, Suffering and Christ. New York: Continuum, 2004. 160 p. $19.95
From the publisher's catalog: "Cullinan considers several contemporary novels, including Toni Morrison's Beloved and E. M. Broner's A Weave of Women, and, in conversation with the stories told by and about Jesus, a vision of redemption emerges that emphasizes the wholeness of our experience, the presence of God in our lives, and the power of storytelling to shape our understanding of the present and future." The author is a lecturer and theological researcher at EarthRise Farm in Madison, Minnesota.
Ellingsen, Mark. The Integrity of Biblical Narrative: Story in Theology and Proclamation. Eugene, Or: Wipf & Stock, 2002 [1st pub'd, 1990]. 128 p. $16.00
This book builds on the scholarship in narrative theory advanced by Yale University professors Hans Frei, George Lindbeck, and Brevard Childs. Though it is oriented towards preachers, anyone interested in retelling biblical tales in freshly engaging ways can profit from the analyses given here. The book builds towards the construction of a story-sermon, an example of which appears in the final chapter, on Ezekiel 37:1-10 (the vision of the dry bones). The author pastors at Haven Lutheran Church in Salisbury NC.
Graetz, Naomi. S/He Created Them: Feminist Retellings of Bible Tales. Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias Press, 2003. 132 p. $21.00
From the publisher's catalog: "A feminist retelling of biblical stories: some of the stories deal with the typical feminine concerns of motherhood, barrenness, resentment about polygamy, the after-effects of being raped, the joys of shared gossip, the tribulations of the aging process, and the unique relationship of siblings. The stories also dwell on the tensions between relatives such as Isaac and Ishmael, Rachel and Leah, Sarah and Mrs. Lot, Miriam and her mother Yocheved. Naomi Graetz teaches critical reading skills at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, in the English Department."
Hammer, Jill. Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2001. 294 p. $16.00
Drawing inspiration from Jewish traditions of retelling Bible stories, in imaginative midrash that adds detail and connective links, the author builds on brief Bible verses whole narratives of plot and character. Women whose stories are elaborated here include Eve, Sarah, Miriam, and Deborah. A detailed appendix cites rabbinical sources for the stories, and explains their genesis in the author's imagination.
Kalas, J. Ellsworth. New Testament Stories from the Backside. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000. 124 p. $13.00 [also: Old Testament Stories from the Backside, $13.00]
From the publisher's catalog: "J. Ellsworth Kalas opens up new possibilities of insight into selected New Testament stories by entering them through the "back side" -- through a unique starting point, a creative retelling, a new 'lens', or the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. Includes 12 stories and a study guide."
Limburg, James. Old Stories for a New Time. Atlanta: John Knox Pr, 1983. 123 p. Out of print.
Based on a review by Diedrik Nelson published in Word and World: By retelling and analyzing stories from Hebrew scripture, the author hopes to bridge the historical and cultural gap that separates us from their time and place. Among the stories retold are those of the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22), Rebecca and Isaac (Gen 24), Joseph (Gen 37-50), Gideon and Samson (Judg 6-8, 13-16) , Ruth, Esther, and Jonah.
Litherland, Janet. Storytelling from the Bible: Making Scripture Alive through the Art of Storytelling. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Meriwether, 1991. 182 p. $12.95
This publisher specializes in books for the theater. From their catalog: "This complete guide contains the how-to and the material so that anyone may captivate listeners through the enduring art of storytelling. The Bible's most colorful characters are featured in these vibrant and imaginative renditions designed to entertain and challenge. Each story is followed by several questions and ideas to foster discussion."
McKirachan, C. David. I Happened Upon a Miracle: Voices from the Gospels. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster, 2003. 128 p. $16.95
From Books in Print: "Offers a collection of first-person narratives told in the voices of characters in the life of Jesus, from the Christmas story through the crucifixion and resurrection. Among these characters are the inn-keeper in Bethlehem and a little boy in the crowd fed by the fishes and loaves."
Minirith, Frank. Just Like Us: Fifteen Biblical Stories with Take-Away Messages You Can Use in Your Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 240 p. $21.95.
From Books in Print: "A medical doctor, a minister, and a psychologist evaluate fifteen major biblical figures-including Paul, David, Naomi, Gideon, and Daniel-and explain how, like them, we too fit into God's plan. Just Like Us clearly shows that while the accounts of these biblical figures were inspired, they themselves were mere mortals, with the same kinds of strengths, weaknesses, and struggles that we face. Questions for personal reflection at the end of each chapter help us connect the challenges and lessons of those ancient lives to our own."
Newbigin, Lesslie. A Walk through the Bible. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster, 2003. 96 p. $9.95
From Books in Print: "Shortly before he died in 1998, Lesslie Newbigin recorded a series of eight radio addresses on the basic themes and central figures in the Bible. These addresses, which form the basis of this book, affirm the Bible as the story of the history of humankind….Newbigin invites readers to join him on a journey from Genesis through Revelation, introducing the great biblical figures along the way - Moses, Noah, the prophets, Paul, and, of course, Jesus…. This retelling of the Bible story in compact form is for individuals, teachers, clergy, and adult study groups"
Ochs, Vanessa. Sarah Laughed. New York: McGraw Hill Professional Publishing, 2004. 272 p. $24.95
From Books in Print: "In this vivid collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life. From Eve's rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job's wife, each woman's story is retold in imaginative prose and accompanied by real-life rituals that you can perform at home, gaining insight into: Finding inner wisdom, Speaking the true self, Being a good friend, Maintaining romantic partnerships, Raising a family, Letting go of children."
Pleins, David. When the Great Abyss Opened: Classic and Contemporary Readings of Noah's Flood. New York: Oxford Univ Pr, 2003. 256 p. $29.95
Annotation based on Books in Print: Though not among the stories retold in this year's spiritual growth study, the biblical story of Noah's ark, which is "the inspiration for numerous children's books and toys," amply illustrates the adaptability of Bible stories to different worldviews. This book sounds a caution to us on retelling Bible stories, that we be aware of the socio-economic vantage points, and the unstated presuppositions of self-interest, from which they can be told: "Pro-slavery advocates, for example, used the story of Noah's Curse on Ham's son Canaan to rationalize the enslavement of Africans." The author teaches religious studies at Santa Clara University.
Price, Reynolds. A Palpable God: Thirty Stories Translated from the Bible. New York: Atheneum, 1978. Out of print.
Reynolds Price, a gifted writer who has been a finalist for the Pulitzer prize, received a National Book Award nomination for this book. The book comprises an essay on storytelling, as well as a collection of story-passages from the Bible he translated himself. Though the translations are not strictly retellings, the care in choice of words, which mirror as far as possible the "full sensory implication" of the original Hebrew or Greek, betrays the writer's creative gift. The stories told, which include those of Joseph and Jephthah's daughter, reveal the alternating presence and absence of God to human beings.
Schram, Peninnah. Tales of Elijah the Prophet. Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, 1991. 309 p. $30.00
Elijah figures centrally in one of the stories told in this year's spiritual growth study (1 Kgs 17:1-24). But he is also a prominent figure in the literature of Judaism, which developed a vast lore on him. What the Elijah of Jewish legend shares with the biblical Elijah is a gift for performing miracles. Based on a verse in Malachi (3:24), Elijah evolved into a compassionate mediator, especially between parents and their children. The 37 stories gathered here are culled from the Israel Folktale Archives in Haifa. Their talented reteller, Peninnah Schram, teaches storytelling at Stern College in New York.
Schwartz, Howard. Reimagining the Bible: The Storytelling of the Rabbis. New York: Oxford Univ Pr, 1998. 289 p. $30.00
Readers seeking an introduction to Jewish storytelling history and techniques will find it here. Likening the layered history of Jewish stories to an archeological mound, the author shows how Talmudic, medieval mystical, and more recent hasidic stories all rest on a biblical ground. Cain and Abel, Joseph, Moses and Elijah are among the figures from Hebrew scripture who receive ongoing life in the Jewish stories recounted and analyzed in this book. The author teaches Judaica at University of Missouri in St. Louis.
Scott, Macrina. Bible Stories Revisited: Discover Your Story in the Old Testament. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Pr, 1999. 292 p. $13.95
This book addresses senior citizens who find in the aging process an occasion to reconnect with the Bible stories they remember from youth. The stories discussed include several involving children in the Old Testament: Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, the young Joseph, the infant Moses, and Hannah's son. The author, who is director of the Catholic Biblical School of the Archdiocese of Denver, concludes each story retold with questions for reflection and thematic prayers. [A sequel, Discover Your Story in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, is forthcoming]
Shoemaker, H. Stephen. Godstories: New Narratives from Sacred Texts. Valley Forge, Penn: Judson Press, 1996. 240 p. $16.00
Based on a review by Mark Waters that appeared in Review and Expositor: The author, a Baptist minister, brings his homiletical gifts to retelling the Bible's stories, from Genesis to Revelation. He also reflects on the process of retelling stories, which inevitably incorporates the perspectives of the teller. Drawing from Jewish storytelling techniques, he aims to fashion a Christian haggadah (from the Hebrew: narration) that "mirrors the human condition".
Slusser, Dorothy. Bible Stories Retold for Adults. Philadelphia: Westminter, 1960. 128 p. Out of print.
Noting that "the Bible was not written for children," the author appreciates that the first hearers of the Bible stories were adults. In this book, she aims to present the stories from the book of Genesis with adult readers in mind. Her retellings are ruminations, interweaving the ancient stories with applications of them to modern life. All the Genesis stories in this year's spiritual growth study are included here. A sequel to the book, entitled At the Foot of the Mountain (1961) treats the stories from Exodus. Though the two books are dated, their intention and methodology are current.
The Storyteller's Companion to the Bible [ongoing series]. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992-, $18.00-$20.00
All the books in this series follow the same format. Each presents: texts of Bible stories, brief commentaries on them, retellings of the stories in modern dress. The books draw especially from the Jewish story-telling technique, called midrash, and highlight quotations from midrashic texts. The series is a collaboration of scholars, clergy, and professional storytellers. Individual volumes of special interest to this year's spiritual growth study participants include those on: Genesis, Exodus-Joshua, Judges-Kings, Old Testament Women, Matthew Mark and Luke, John, and New Testament women.
Tarr, Delbert Howard. Double Image: Biblical Insights from African Parables. New York: Paulist, 1994. 209 p. Out of print.
The author, who is North American but has spent much time in Africa, explores the impact of cultural lens on reading the Bible. His thesis is that in their less industrialized, more kinship-oriented society, Africans who read the Bible are closer to its original writers than modern-day Americans. The book interweaves biblical stories of faith, forgiveness, and family relationships with parallel narratives from African folklore.
Vries, Anne. Children in the Bible. St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Publishing House, 1966. 187 p. Translated from the Dutch by Marian Schooland. Out of print.
This book comprises five imaginative retellings of stories about children in the Bible: Cain and Abel, Benjamin (one of Jacob's sons), Miriam (sister of Moses), Samuel (the prophet, son of Hannah), and an imagined nephew of Paul. The stories, which are addressed to both adults and children, open paths of expansive reflection on biblical figures whose childhoods are treated very briefly in scripture.
Weber, Hans Ruedi. The Bible Comes Alive: New Approaches for Bible Study Groups. Valley Forge, Penn: Judson Pr, 1995. 67 p. $11.00 [also published under the title, The Book that Reads Me, by the World Council of Churches]
Directed towards leaders of Bible study groups, this book examines successive incarnations of Bible stories, from ancient oral tradition, to written text, to retellings through drama, art, and meditation. The book first appeared as lectures delivered under the auspices of the World Student Christian Federation and the Ecumenical Institute of the WCC. The author was the WCC's Director of Biblical Studies for many years.
Wible, Charles. Bible Stories that Speak to Our Heart. New York: Paulist, 2004. 160 p. $14.95.
From the publisher's catalog: "This book of stories examines the broad map of human love and friendship….The author offers classical stories from Hebrew and Christian scriptures: Boaz and Ruth, Tobias and Sarah, Jonathan and David, Peter and Jesus, Joseph and his brothers, Jacob and Rachel and Leah--stories of emotional relationships both constant and supportive, faithful and content, envious and vengeful, sensuous and pure, those of families, friends, siblings, husbands and wives, and disciples….[The author is] associate pastor at St. Joseph parish in Cockeysville, MD."
Wood, Lawrence. One Hundred Tones of Ice and other Gospel Stories. Louisville, Ky: Westminster Pr, 2003. 192 p. $14.95
Based on a review in Publishers Weekly: These sermonic tales, set in a variety of contemporary and historical surrounds, build on New Testament stories of Jesus to subtly re-communicate the message of the Gospel. The 31 stories, arranged according to he seasons of the year, weave together personal experience, legend, history and biblical verses, with the intent of focusing attention on issues of faith and social concern.
World Council of Churches. By Our Lives: Stories of Women, Today and in the Bible. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1985. 57 p. Out of print.
The stories gathered here, collected by WCC's Sub-Unit on Women in Church and Society, grew out of small group Bible studies among women in India. The women read stories from the Bible in light of often troubling events in their own lives, sometimes from their childhoods. Many of the stories recount failures in the women's communities to realize justice and equality. The concluding chapter offers guidance to readers on using the Bible as a vehicle for retelling their own life stories.