Old Testament Narrative as Theology

Abstract

This article considers two areas of narrative text. Firstly, it goes into some detail about a splendid example of Old Testament theological storytelling called the Ark Narrative. Secondly, it points to four critical moments in Israel's understanding of its world, indicating that each of these is portrayed in the Old Testament text in irreconcilably contrasting ways. The four moments are: creation, flood, exodus, and settlement. The thesis sustained is this: if sharply contrasting views of the past are preserved and juxtaposed, the concern is not with the manner of what happened but with its meaning in faith. To simplify: the narrative is not history but theology.