BOOK REVIEW: The Bible is a narrative--the story of God's creation, humankind's fall, and God's plan of redemption. And it is filled with countless smaller stories that teach us about people, history, and the nature of God. This comes as no surprise. After all, we are hardwired to tell stories because we are created in the image of God. Despite this, we often attempt to share out faith with others not through story but through systems, arguments, and talking points---methods that appeal to the mind but neglect the imagination.In this ground-breaking book, scholar and author Alister McGrath lays a foundation for narrative apologetics before considering the many ways in which it can be used. Exploring four major biblical narratives, enduring stories such as Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and personal narratives from figures such as St. Augustine and Chuck Colson, McGrath shows how we can both understand and share our faith through the use of stories.
MY REVIEW: When it comes to evangelizing, the use of narratives is useful, even necessary. Narratives/stories can share truths beyond the realm of explanation. Alister makes many references to C. S. Lewis, and his "Chronicles of Narnia". To quote one instance:
"Lewis was drawn to Christianity on account of its intellectual capaciousness, its narrative structure, and its imaginative appeal. It told a story that made sense of things, without being limited to what could be understood or grasped by human reason."
"C. S. Lewis summarizes the intellectual virtues of Christianity succinctly and elegantly: 'I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen--not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.' "
A caution in this book, and thus a persuasion for narratives, is that evangelizing becomes too much about the right theology and argument and neglects the love and meaning in the gospel. Using narratives helps us share--for example, the love of Christ--in a more relatable way. Alister uses the illustration of a camera: to use narratives to explain is like opening the shutter on a lens to reveal the image. I had not before considered the impact or argument of narrative evangelizing. I enjoyed reading the book and seeing the author's take on it. I consider the book to be well written, though it definitely requires concentration, as it uses deeper English than I use in everyday conversation.
I received a copy of this book from BAKER BOOKS and was not required to write a positive review.
