Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Baker Academic, 2004.
Referenced in: Theology of Mission, Proposals and Formulations – Missio Dei
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
The authors build upon the idea from N.T. Wright that the Bible offers a story that is “the true story of the whole world.” They elaborate further that “faith in Jesus should be the means through which a Christian seeks to understand all of life and the whole of history.” Furthermore,
“the Christian story…is true and tells us truthfully the story of the whole of history, beginning with the creation and ending with the creation. This is the way the world is, and Christians should make sure that the story of the Bible is basic in their lives.” (21)
But then the question arises, “what exactly is the biblical story, and how do we grasp it?” Such is the task of this volume by Bartholomew and Goheen, as expressed in their own words:
“The Drama of Scripture tells the biblical story of redemption as a unified, coherent narrative of God’s ongoing work within his kingdom. After God created the world and human rebellion marred it, God set out to restore what he had made: ‘God did not turn his back on a world bent on destruction; he turned his face toward it in love. He set out on a long road of redemption to restore the lost as his people and the world as his kingdom.’ The Bible narrates the story of God’s journey on that long road of redemption. It is a unified and progressively unfolding drama of God’s action in history for the salvation of the whole world. The Bible is not a mere jumble of history, poetry, lessons in morality and theology, comforting promises, guiding principles and commands; instead, it is fundamentally coherent. Every part of the Bible – each event, book, character, command, prophecy, and poem – must be understood in the context of the one story line.
Many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits – theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, devotional bits. But when we read the Bible in such a fragmented way, we ignore its divine author’s intention to shape our lives through its story. …If we allow the Bible to become fragmented, it is in danger of being absorbed into whatever other story is shaping our culture, and it will thus cease to shape our lives as it should.” (12)
They tell the one story through the rubric of a six-act drama: creation, sin, Israel, Christ, church, and new creation (this largely represents the chapter divisions as well). They also show how two overarching themes tie the biblical story together — covenant in the Old Testament and kingdom in the New Testament.
Throughout, they relate this story from a missional perspective, helping Christians see how they are now participants in God’s story of reconciling the world to himself, thus the subtitle, “Finding our place in the story.” They continually address five questions that are foundational to a biblical worldview: “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “What’s wrong?” “What’s the solution?” and “Where do we belong in the story? How does it shape our lives in the present?” (12) They say:
“The Bible narrates God’s mission to restore the creation. Israel’s mission flows from this: God chose a people to again embody God’s creational purposes for humanity and so be a light to the nations, and the Old Testament narrates the history of Israel’s response to their divine calling. Jesus comes on the scene and in his mission takes upon himself Israel’s missionary vocation. He embodies God’s purpose for humanity and accomplishes the victory over sin, opening the way to a new world. When his earthly ministry is over, he leaves his church with the mandate to continue in that same mission. In our own time as we do between Pentecost and the return of Jesus, our central task as God’s people is to witness to the rule of Jesus Christ over all of life.” (13)
This is the kind of book ministers will enjoy and feel just as comfortable recommending to their members (it is written with first year university students in mind). Church leaders seeking to help their members understand God as a missional God and the church as his missional people will benefit greatly from this book.
From the Publisher
The story of the Bible and its account of God’s action in the world give meaning to our lives and provide us with the foundation for our actions. The Drama of Scripture is an introduction to the basic story line and theology of the Bible. In considering the biblical story, the authors emphasize the unity of the whole, viewing the Bible as a drama in six acts—creation, sin, Israel, Christ, church, and new creation. Two overarching themes tie the biblical story together—covenant in the Old Testament and kingdom in the New Testament. Throughout, the authors suggest, God is revealed through the story and calls us to participate in his drama.
About the Author
Craig G. Bartholomew (Ph.D., University of Bristol) holds the H. Evan Runner Chair in Philosophy at Redeemer University College in Ontario. He is the author of Reading Ecclesiastes and the coeditor of a number of volumes, including the forthcoming Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of Scripture.
Michael W. Goheen (Ph.D., University of Utrecht) is associate professor of religion and theology at Redeemer University College and is the author of As the Father Has Sent Me, I Am Sending You.
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