Narrative Theology in the High School Classroom: Teaching Theology Through the Literature

Louis A Delfra

doi:10.15365/joce.0803052013

Abstract

If Jesus Taught most Frequently through symbol and story, and the early Church passed on his teachings primarily through story, especially the four Gospels, why is today’s Catechesis and theological pedagogy not more informed by “narrative theology” ”“ theology which focuses on the narratives told by Jesus and the Gospels precisely as narratives? This article provides some basic foundations for the discipline of narrative theology, argues for a more narrative approach to theological instruction, and, by way of application, proposes a full year curriculum for high-school students that enables teachers to teach theology through the narratives of both the Bible and secular literature.

Highlights

NARRATIVE THEOLOGY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM: TEACHING THEOLOGY THROUGH LITERATURE
If Jesus taught most frequently through symbol and story, and the early Church passed on his teachings primarily through story, especially the four Gospels, why is today’s catechesis and theological pedagogy not more informed by “narrative theology” – theology which focuses on the narratives told by Jesus and the Gospels precisely as narratives? This article provides some basic foundations for the discipline of narrative theology, argues for a more narrative approach to theological instruction, and, by way of application, proposes a full-year curriculum for high-school students that enables teachers to teach theology through the narratives of both the Bible and secular literature
The epigraphs to this paper, which are but a small selection from many similar sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, point to a basic reality about Jesus’ teaching and pedagogical method: He taught by stories

Summary

FOCUS SECTION

NARRATIVE THEOLOGY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM: TEACHING THEOLOGY THROUGH LITERATURE. This article provides some basic foundations for the discipline of narrative theology, argues for a more narrative approach to theological instruction, and, by way of application, proposes a full-year curriculum for high-school students that enables teachers to teach theology through the narratives of both the Bible and secular literature. Wishing to justify himself, the man said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” And Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers.” (Lk 10:29-30). Jesus said to them, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’” (Lk 15:2, 11). On the night before he died, Jesus took bread. (Words of Consecration, Eucharistic Prayer of the Roman Rite)

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS NARRATIVE THEOLOGY?