Bible Interpretation, Student Workbook, SW05

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B I B L E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

Story, Theology, and Church (continued)

Third Proposition: Stories remain normative.

We have seen in the first chapter of this book that all of theology is but a reflection on the original story. To test a theology, we must always go back to the pristine material (and its subsequent unfolding). To this extent the biblical stories will always remain normative. There is a serious caution, however. Some may go back to the original story and make an idol of it; that is, they will take it as a rigid and finished document, detach it from its history, contemporary and subsequent, and force it to remain compressed and restricted. This is the fault of literalists or fundamentalists.

Fourth Proposition: Traditions evolve through stories.

Traditions evolve through stories: that’s the nature of important and critical stories. People “caught” by the story, its hero or heroine and its message, want not only to share an experience but to share an experience faithful to the original story. Hence tradition arises that has two functions: preserving and protecting. Preserving is “handing on,” which is what the word tradition means literally. Protecting may need more explanation. Because stories are really extended metaphors, they are open-ended. They are freely adaptable and can easily be recast and retold. Details, names, and locales are easily accommodated to different audiences and places. We detect this even in the short span of the writing of the four gospels. Still, a boundary is implicitly set beyond which flexibility may not go and still be true to the founding story. To take a secular example: Santa Claus may be metamorphosed throughout the centuries easily enough. He can be tall or short, smooth faced or bearded, clothed in purple or green, rotund or as slim as Ichabod Crane. But Santa can never be a child abuser. After all, he derives from St. Nicholas, who derives from the Christ Child, who derives from the Father of all gifts. The core tradition would not permit a connection between Santa and harm when his whole point is benevolence and kindness. Along the way somewhere, tradition would protect the image from intrinsic contradiction. The biblical stories about Jesus evoke the same process of protection. This is where church tradition fits in. And since the stories of Jesus are varied, varied traditions will not only arise but will be quite legitimate.