The Book of Acts as Story: A Narrative-Critical Study by David R. Bauer

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Book of Acts as Story: A Narrative-Critical Study by David R. Bauer Christine H. Aarflot david r. bauer, The Book of Acts as Story: A Narrative-Critical Study (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2021). Pp. xii + 284. Paper $32.99. In The Book of Acts as Story, David R. Bauer offers a narrative-critical reading of the Acts of the Apostles. In chap. 1, B. explores some of the foundational questions related to treating Acts as story and, in chap. 2, discusses central aspects of narrative criticism and their uses in reading Acts. Chapter 3 proposes a literary structure for reading Acts, and chaps. 4–7 offer a narrative-critical reading of Acts based on the literary structure and understanding of the plot presented in the previous two chapters. In chap. 1, B. discusses the relationship between Acts and the Gospel of Luke and raises the question of genre. He concludes, and rightly so in my opinion, that Acts "has its own message to convey, but on the other hand cannot be fully or even adequately understood without reference to the Gospel" (p. 7). B. brings this insight to his reading of Acts in chaps. 4–7. In terms of genre, B. follows the larger consensus of scholarship on Acts and treats the book as ancient historiography. Chapter 2 introduces narrative criticism as B.'s method for reading Acts, spending time particularly on the plot of Acts. This he considers to be made up of the way the events of the narrative are organized to form a story, and the conflicts the story revolves around (p. 15). Accordingly, B. does not follow contemporary literary research; he concentrates more on plot as the story's effect on the readers and their encounter with the questions raised by the story. Hence, I was left with the question, What would the plot have looked like according to B. if the questions Acts raises through its narrative had been in focus? In chap. 3, B. looks at the literary structure of Acts as reflected by the programmatic statement by Jesus in Acts 1:8: the movement of witness from Jerusalem to Samaria to the end of the earth. B. also discusses the roles of the ascended Jesus and the Holy Spirit in guiding and empowering the apostles' witness, the repetition of important events and themes, summary statements, and role of the speeches. In chaps. 4–7, B. takes us through Acts read as story. He pays due attention to the importance of Acts' beginning for the development of the rest of the story (chap. 4: Acts 1:1–26), spends some time with the apostles in Jerusalem (chap. 5: Acts 2:1–8:1a), traces the witness through Judea and Samaria to Antioch (chap. 6: Acts 8:1b–12:25), and finally follows Paul on his travels, through his arrest and on his way to trial in Rome (chap. 7: Acts 13:1–28:31). Throughout, B. remains true to his narrative-critical aim and espouses a clear understanding of how the different events are connected to bring forth Acts' witness to Christ. To read Acts as a story is a rewarding venture, but it is not without its dangers. In chap. 2, B. presents one of the central issues of Acts as a conflict "between the Church and [End Page 494] its Jewish opponents" (p. 23; cf. p. 18). It is certainly true that the apostles face opposition from Jews throughout Acts and that they often appear as an antagonistic character group. However, both historical and literary elements remind us that it is not unproblematic to distinguish between "the Church" and "the Jews" in this way. Because B.'s target audience consists of undergraduates, seminary students, pastors, and laypersons (p. 3), the history of anti-Semitism in the church warrants a particular reminder that Jesus's apostles were Jews. To be fair, B. does use the term "Jewish Christians" at times and therefore shows awareness of this, but this nuance is missing in his treatment of the plot. Moreover, on literary grounds, presenting "the Jews" as an antagonistic character group risks downplaying the fact that the apostles throughout their speeches...