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What is narrative criticism?

Watching a biblical narrative : point of view in biblical exegesis

Drawing upon the work of literary critics and linguists on point of view in secular literature, this work develops a methodology for analyzing point of view in biblical narratives. The literary concept of point of view addresses the issue of the angle from which a reader is led to experience any given moment of a story. Think of how a movie director chooses between several different camera angles to create just the right image for the audience to view on the screen. The narrator of a written story also chooses between various camera angles to create images to be viewed in the reader's "mind's eye, " using various linguistic devices to produce these different angles. The present work isolates all the linguistic devices used to any substantial degree in the manipulation of point of view in biblical narratives, describing how each affects the angle from which the reader experiences the story.

Reading Hebrew Bible narratives

Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives introduces readers to narrative traditions of the Old Testament and to methods of interpreting them. Part of the Essentials of Biblical Studies series, this volume presents readers with an overview of exegesis by mainly focusing on a self-contained narrative to be read alongside the text. Through sustained interaction with the book of Ruth, readers have opportunities to engage a biblical book from multiple perspectives, while taking note of the wider implications of such perspectives for other biblical narratives. Other select texts from Hebrew Bible narratives, related by theme or content to matters in Ruth, are also examined, not only to assist in illustrating this method of approach, but also to offer reinforcement of reading skills and connections among different narrative traditions. Considering literary analysis, words and texts in context, and reception history, this brief introduction gives students an overview of how exegesis illuminates stories in the Bible.

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