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March 31, 2005
Story, Narrative and Meaning
Story, Narrative and Meaning
As someone deeply committed to the craft of storytelling, I would urge some caution in our rush to embrace “story” as the alpha and omega of how we share ourselves with others and discover meaning in the world. While I certainly understand and appreciate the power of story to carry meaning and character (I think AKMA’s description of the ethical dimensions of Jane Austen’s novels – who brings joy and who brings good – was spot on), I also know something of the limitations of classic storytelling. All authors have agendas (sometimes hidden from themselves), audiences are extremely fickle (and hear what they’re conditioned to hear), and without a common language or culture, storytelling lacks the power of simple tears or a smile. Moreover, I am worried that this new found respect for “story” may in the end actually devalue stories themselves. After all, in our present Oprahized culture, everybody’s got a story and hey, shouldn’t they all be equal? Cheap grace may be replaced by cheap stories.
My concerns also come from what I perceived as a cramped exploration of “narrative” that seemed to concentrate solely on the classic story of linear plots and easily empathized characters. On the other hand, I believe that narrative can actually exist quite nicely apart from story. Let me give a few examples. Abraham Lincoln found his life’s definition not in story, but in the words of a polemical document – the Declaration of Independence. Indeed, the yardstick upon which the American character is rightly measured is not found in stories of Washington crossing the Delaware or the first Thanksgiving, but in Jefferson’s words. Stories may flesh out those words, but the core is prose, not poetry. Moreover, in three of the most famous conversion stories in Christian history – St. Augustine, Martin Luther and John Wesley – the “aha” moment occurs while these men are reading or listening to a passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans rather than to any gospel story. And Paul’s moment of conversion is not dependent on either story or argument, but on his experience of the risen Lord. These persons found a narrative – that is, meaning in their life’s context that would inform and transform their lives – outside of story.
I argue the above not to denigrate story (anyone who has heard me preach knows I would be lost without resort to story), but to re-establish the credentials of rhetoric and experience as means by which we also interact with and understand our place in this world. And finally, as a dues-paying member of the original sin society, I believe that, just like any other aspect of life, our stories are also part of fallen creation. Remember that the first story in Scripture not attributed to God begins in seeming innocence – “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”
Posted by John Hickey at 05:31 PM | Comments (1)
March 29, 2005
Question and comment on AKMA's summary of Lyotard
Question "Section 6. Paragraph c) The legitimation of scientific knowledge depends increasingly upon formal characteristics (qualifications), whereas narrative knowledge relies upon material characteristics".
I am not sure I understand the distinction between these two categories of characteristics, or at least I am unfamiliar with the designations "formal" and "material" as they are being used.
Comment Section 6 paragaph g) "Even scientists must draw upon narrative knowledge to explain...their discoveries." This is true particularly in sciences without mathematical bases: medical sciences of all kinds rely on narrative to convey messages about the workings of the body. If they couldn't use narrative, there would be no application of the health sciences, because doctors would not be able to convey how physiological, etc. processes work in lay terms. Is the theological equivalent our pastoral conversation? We (clergy-experts) use narratives to convey theological messages to lay persons (non-experts)? Or is this too hierarchical a conception of the process that happens in pastoral situations? Are the messages from parishioner to clergy and back just as expert? Is the lack of theological categories in parishioners' language really problematic, since we are aiming at access to experiencing God's presence? Does having theological language (games) make that much a difference in pastoral care? I guess this course is meant to help us make that leap between the science of God and the narrative understanding of God's workings in our lives.
Posted by St. Hildegard at 08:05 PM | Comments (3)
March 28, 2005
Wallace – Stories (HV)
There are many things that I liked about this article.
One of the things that I work with in a college community is the synthesis of information. Students are working to understand a lot of things all at once. They are working to understand their new knowledge and integrating that. They are also exploring faith – what is “their” faith separate from their parents’ or what had always been known. I spend time in conversation and sermons talking with people about creating theologies. I feel that part of my job is creating a place where people can think deeply and know that they can talk theology without having it be a full time job. Telling and reflecting on stories helps people start to define faith.
The line that stood out for me: “The stories we tell create the world.”
I cannot agree with this more. It’s connected to self-fulfilling prophecy; what we say does create reality. This is both a scary and reassuring thought. Scary, because it means that bad things happen by simply telling them into existence. Reassuring and promising because we can create wonderful worlds. We can help and support others through stories. We can imagine our own lives going in a new and different direction. We can talk of communities working together to transform a church, a neighborhood, or the world.
I think I struggle most with telling unrealistically positive stories. But I also believe that there can be wonderful things that happen. Through my optimistic outlook, I can help people see the many good options that can happen. While some people start to feel hopeless, I can help people look forward to some positive results that might come out of hard work.
I also worry about stories that suppress bad stuff from history (“the holocaust didn’t kill that many people…”). How do we balance a realistic look at the past with a positive outlook of the future? I think that this is a hugely important point for parishes. Many have painful, if not downright awful, histories. Creating stories of transformation are most important for these places. Building off the positive stories, the joys, the hard work can build up a new and positive future.
Self-care is most important in these situations (I know, you’ve heard it all before). Keeping perspective that everything might be “awful” where you are – or that aspects are – and being able to vision yourself and the parish (community, chaplaincy) into a better place is an important skill. It’s my newest challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I also try to keep in mind that “God is the context that matters.”
Posted by Heather Voss at 09:33 PM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2005
Mentioned in Class
Here are some of the titles I mentioned in today’s class:
Stephen Fowl, Engaging Scripture. (London: Blackwell, 1998).
Francis Watson, Text and Truth. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
Francis Watson, Text, Church, and World. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994).
Kevin Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning In This Text? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998).
Krister Stendahl, “Biblical Theology, Contemporary.” In The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. George Buttrick. Vol. 1. (Nashville: Abingdon Press): 418-32.
Ben Ollenburger, "What Krister Stendhal ‘Meant’: A Normative Critique of ‘Descriptive Biblical Theology’.” Horizons in Biblical Theology 8 (1986):61-98.
Leander Keck, “Problems of New Testament Theology,” Novum Testamentum 7 (1964/65):217-41.
If you have suggestions of other works that complement our course’s trajectory, please feel free to add them in the comments (Susie, are you on top of Brueggemann’s recent work?). I’ll try to add bibliographic data for titles we mention in class.
Posted by AKMA at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)