Adult Education: Bible Study Methods

Narrative Analysis

The more analytic types may prefer a more rational approach to the text. This requires practice. Persistence will reward the diligent.

To examine a text as a literary critic would, apply these four steps:

1. Analyze the form. Ask, "What is the genre of the text?" Is it an historical text? A poem? A mythic tale? A parable? A rhetorical debate? etc.
2. Analyze the literary structure of the text.
   1. Setting. What is the setting of the text or story?
   2. Plot. Where does the plot begin, end, climax? What clues support your conclusion? Look for such things as foreshadowing, repetition of theme or language, the development of emotional tension.
   3. Elements - What are the key symbol(s)? motif(s)? theme(s)?
3. Analyze the characters in the story. Who are the protagonists and antagonists? (God is often the central character in biblical texts, even though God is sometimes "offstage." Think about different characters motives and intentions? Consider how characters change.
4. Analyze the point of view. From whose perspective is the story told? Is it told in the first or third person? What does the point of view suggest about meaning of the story?
5. Synthesize the meaning. Bring all the parts together. What does the passage suggest about the nature of God, humanity and the world?
6. Identify the challenge. Based upon your interpretation of the passage, how does this text call into question your own understanding of God, reality and yourself? What will you do about it?

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