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In the Way of the Story
Reading Biblical Narrative
by Huw Thomas
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
You'll be doing all the work.
You'll be picking apart plots, analyzing characters, exploring the setting of biblical narratives, and engaging with narrative levels and reader response theory.
And you'll be doing all the work.
This is a book about you, the reader. Drawing on narrative theory, this book places readers in the way of the story, reading biblical narrative through fresh eyes. Using entertaining explanations of literary theory, it liberates readers to read their own chosen Bible stories with a fresh understanding of how narratives work.
Practical activities will inspire the reader to develop their own understanding of stories and, in doing so, this book tackles hallowed and authoritarian interpretations that can sometimes get in the way of the story. This is a book of clear explanation and practical application.
Huw Thomas is a teacher, speaker, and writer. He is Diocesan Director of Education for the Anglican Diocese of Sheffield. He has written for Church Times, The Guardian, and The Times Education Supplement. He is also the author of numerous books on education and literary theory, including Reading and Responding to Fiction and Understanding Texts.
“Drawing as much on popular film and fiction as on academic literary theory, Thomas invites the reader to see more in, and so get more out of, the narratives of the Bible. In the Way of the Story is chock-full of practical exercises and worked examples, applied primarily to the Gospel of Mark, making it a rich resource for Bible readers, preachers, and teachers.”
—Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield
“Huw is one of the best storytellers that I know. In this book, he uses some wonderfully creative approaches to explore various Bible stories, providing rich theological insights as well as practical ideas for how to get others to fall in love with these life-giving stories.”
—Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester
“Thomas brilliantly drives home the point that story is not the icing on the cake when it comes to faith; it is the cake. Illuminated by wittily referenced insights from contemporary books, films, and TV shows, In the Way of the Story opens up an adventure in the world of biblical storytelling—which made me smile as well as think!”
—David Tomlinson, writer, broadcaster, and Anglican priest
“As a student of the Bible, Thomas has absorbed an impressive array of narrative critical theory. As an educator of children and adults, laity and ministers, he shares this knowledge not to teach what the Bible means but to enable you to explore how stories—biblical and otherwise—can mean. And as a priest, he truly welcomes a diversity of theological views. In the Way of the Story is a triple treat—and a rewarding challenge.”
—Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, author of Mark’s Jesus
“At last, a book about the Bible that offers a framework with which to explore its stories and their purpose for yourself. Rather than trying to convince you of the meaning of the Bible’s narratives, In the Way of the Story—based on the best contemporary literary scholarship—opens up for every reader the exciting world of personal biblical research and discovery.”
—Steve Chalke, Founder and Leader, Oasis Global