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Communicating Biblical Truth Through Story a Thesis NARRATIVE PREACHING: COMMUNICATING BIBLICAL TRUTH THROUGH STORY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SOUTH HAMILTON, MASSACHUSETTS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY STEPHEN EARL COBB MARCH 6, 1997 ABSTRACT This thesis argues that narrative preaching must hold a more essential place in contemporary society. Concerns over such a move are addressed by demonstrating how Biblical integrity can be maintained through storytelling, how narrative preaching possesses a unique power of communication in a culture that communicates primarily through story, and how storytelling techniques can be employed to make preachers more effective storytellers. The Theological Section explains why narrative is the dominant literary form of the Bible and how the authors utilize the genre to communicate their message. The Theoretical Section examines how story is a dominant form of communication in this culture and why narrative must hold a more essential place in our preaching. The Section also gives resources for stories as well as reveals how to develop and tell stories well. A seminary course for teaching narrative preaching is provided. The conclusion reached in this project is that image communicates more powerfully than proposition because it engages the individual more holistically. Furthermore, holistic engagement is necessary for behavioral change, the intent of all preaching. Additionally, while it is often assumed that effective storytelling is reserved only for the more gifted, this project proves that techniques for effective storytelling can be learned and employed, thus resulting in better storytellers. i VITA Stephen Earl Cobb was born June 10, 1958, in Asheville, North Carolina. His parents are Earl and Fay Cobb, and he has one brother, Michael Cobb, who is also a pastor. Stephen's education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Mars Hill College, a Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and he anticipates receiving a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, May 18, 1997. Stephen is married to the former Maria-Ruth Dolder, and they have two children, Caleb E. Cobb, age four, and K. Danielle Cobb, age two. Stephen continues to pastor the only church he has served since graduating seminary in 1990 -- Macedonia Baptist Church in Alexander, North Carolina. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM.......................1 Purpose Of The Study.............................3 Importance Of The Study..........................6 Definition Of Terms Used In The Course...........8 II. THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE FOR NARRATIVE PREACHING......12 The Use Of Biblical Narrative...................13 The Primacy Of Biblical Narrative...............18 The Historicity Of Biblical Narrative...........20 The Writing Of Biblical Narrative...............24 The Art Of Biblical Narrative...................27 The Interpretation Of Biblical Narrative........43 III. THEORETICAL RATIONALE FOR NARRATIVE PREACHING......51 The History Of Story............................52 The Society Of Story............................58 The Theory Of Story.............................63 The Psychology Of Story.........................67 The Study Of Story..............................70 Locating The Story..............................78 Researching The Story...........................81 Resourcing The Story............................85 Developing The Story............................88 Plotting The Story..............................90 Writing The Story...............................98 iii Telling The Story..............................101 IV. COURSE DESCRIPTION................................108 Notes To The Teacher...........................108 V. GENERALIZATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS...................160 Overall Project................................160 Teaching Experience............................166 Sample Structured Notes........................170 SOURCES CONSULTED........................................184 iv CHAPTER I IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM We live in a culture where information and images come to us through professional communicators backed by highly sophisticated electronic media. Men and women sitting in front of their television sets or listening to the radio expect to be entertained, excited, updated and informed -- all at the same time. On Sunday mornings as preachers stand in pulpits and proclaim God's truth from the Scriptures to this media-saturated audience, they face overwhelming obstacles. There is a great difference between anchoring the news and preaching God's Word. A preacher called of God proclaims the Bible. The purpose of the proclamation is not simply to impart information. Instead, as Paul said to his young associate, Timothy, it is said that the man or woman of God "may be completely furnished for every good work." A preacher not only wants the audience to hear the Word, but to understand and to act on it. This Research Project is part of a broader effort to enhance effectiveness in preaching for both the current and the next generation of preachers. Most professional 1 Christian workers receive whatever training they have in communication during their Bible college or seminary years. Many do an effective job of preaching by building on the principles they learned there. Some are effective in their ministry because they have built on the principles they learned in school. Yet many seminary and Bible college graduates feel unprepared for their role as preachers. Pelton (1944) investigated how pastors feel about their formal training for the preaching task. He sent questionnaires to over 300 pastors and received responses from 173. Eighty-three percent of the respondents have been in ministry six or more years (59.4% for 10 or more years and 22.9%, more than 20 years). Pelton discovered that 43.4% of pastors struggle with illustrations, 33.5% struggle with outlining the sermon text, and 38.7% struggle with relevance in their sermons. Twenty-four point nine percent struggle with identifying the big idea of the passage which is essential to preaching it. The study of the communication process reveals how difficult it is to effectively communicate any message in an over-communicated society. Jackson (1968:18), based on his research, stated that: . this is the great communication illusion: the assumption that communication between people is natural and automatic. It has been said that the greatest obstacle to successful communication is the assumption that it has taken place. Actually communication is more akin to throwing a baseball to hit that little hole in the center or 2 3 a bulls eye. I know I'll miss the bulls eye more often than not, but I also know I can develop a somewhat better score with practice and a little applied energy. It's the same with communication. Purpose Of The Study This study is part of a larger project designed to find effective ways to teach homiletics. It is part of a Doctor of Ministry program taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Forty-six pastors, all of whom had at least five years preaching experience, concentrated for three years on the subject of preaching. They invested two hundred and forty hours in class, read a wide variety of literature in homiletics, communication, and education. They also conducted research projects in their churches, specifically designed to determine what makes preaching effective. They met for three two-week seminars for intensive classroom and discussion experience focused on preaching. The broad purpose of these seminars was to prepare a band of teachers who could help others communicate the Scriptures effectively in their generation. Each participant in the seminars contributed to a total curriculum on the subject of preaching. Two editors with experience and training in communication and educational design integrated the work of those in the class into a comprehensive series of courses in the broad area of homiletics. The researchers believe that these courses may 4 be used in Bible colleges, seminaries, seminars, and other forums to help current and future ministers maximize their preaching skills. As a part of the larger project, this particular project will address the art of communicating Biblical truth through story known as narrative preaching. The course will cover the theological, theoretical, practical, and educational rationale for narrative preaching. Theologically, the student will understand why narrative is the dominant literary form of the Bible and how the Biblical authors utilize the genre to communicate their message. Theoretically, the student will understand how story is the dominant form of communication in this culture and why narrative must hold a more essential place in our preaching. Practically, the student will learn how to develop and tell stories well. Educationally, the student will be provided with a seminary course designed to teach narrative preaching. H. Grady Davis, writing in 1958 as a homiletician before his time, said, Nine-tenths of our preaching is verbal exposition and argument, but not one-tenth of the gospel is exposition. We overestimate the power of assertion, and we underestimate the power of narrative to communicate meaning and influence the lives of our people.1 1Henry Grady Davis, Design for Preaching. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1958, 18. 5 The problem Davis identifies exists in this writer's tradition (SBC) because of four predominant reasons.
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