Biblical genres
When we read the Bible, one of the first things we need to do is determine what the literary form or genre is of the passage we are reading. Some people wonder why this matters, but it matters more than you might realise at first glance.
Literary form, genre, identifies not only the structure of a work (how it is 'built') but the kind of message - or truths - it contains. Think of the different literary forms you are likely to encounter today.
You might find a letter in your letterbox, you might read an article at work, you might be asked to write a report for a parent and you might decided to try a new recipe for your dinner. Each of these literary forms is structured differently: each of them carries, conveys a different sort of truth, from opinion to fact, from information to instruction. The Catholic Church is very clear that paying attention to literary form is not a waste of time. Dei Verbum reminds us that our task is to 'search out the intention of the sacred writers, attention should be given, among other things, to "literary forms." For truth is set forth and expressed differently in texts which are variously historical, prophetic, poetic, or of other forms of discourse. The interpreter must investigate what meaning the sacred writer intended to express and actually expressed in particular circumstances by using contemporary literary forms in accordance with the situation of his own time and culture.' DV 12
Each time you read a passage from Scripture, you need to find out what literary form or genre it is so that you know the kind of truths it is trying to convey. Reading a song or hymn as if it were a report will lead to misunderstanding reading a proverb as if it were an instruction will lead to confusion. Our task is to work out what the author was trying to say to their audience; to find the meaning wrapped in the beauty and inspiration of their words.
The dominant genre (or literary form) in the Bible is narrative so most often you will find you are reading a narrative.
Watch out though: there are two traps with narratives.
1. The first is that when you call something a narrative, most people will assume 'made up' or fiction. However, calling something a narrative makes no claim at all about the factual accuracy of what is said. Narratives can be completely made up or they can be completely factual.What we do know when we call something a narrative is that it will be structured to have beginning, a middle and an end...and that there will be a problem in the passage (at least one) which is likely to be resolved.
2. The Bible contains more narratives than any other genre or form. There are many types of narratives; call stories, miracles, summary stories, sagas and epics.
So be careful: think about what you do naturally: when you know what the literary form is, you know how to interpret it. We must make sure we teach this to our students.
Literary form, genre, identifies not only the structure of a work (how it is 'built') but the kind of message - or truths - it contains. Think of the different literary forms you are likely to encounter today.
You might find a letter in your letterbox, you might read an article at work, you might be asked to write a report for a parent and you might decided to try a new recipe for your dinner. Each of these literary forms is structured differently: each of them carries, conveys a different sort of truth, from opinion to fact, from information to instruction. The Catholic Church is very clear that paying attention to literary form is not a waste of time. Dei Verbum reminds us that our task is to 'search out the intention of the sacred writers, attention should be given, among other things, to "literary forms." For truth is set forth and expressed differently in texts which are variously historical, prophetic, poetic, or of other forms of discourse. The interpreter must investigate what meaning the sacred writer intended to express and actually expressed in particular circumstances by using contemporary literary forms in accordance with the situation of his own time and culture.' DV 12
Each time you read a passage from Scripture, you need to find out what literary form or genre it is so that you know the kind of truths it is trying to convey. Reading a song or hymn as if it were a report will lead to misunderstanding reading a proverb as if it were an instruction will lead to confusion. Our task is to work out what the author was trying to say to their audience; to find the meaning wrapped in the beauty and inspiration of their words.
The dominant genre (or literary form) in the Bible is narrative so most often you will find you are reading a narrative.
Watch out though: there are two traps with narratives.
1. The first is that when you call something a narrative, most people will assume 'made up' or fiction. However, calling something a narrative makes no claim at all about the factual accuracy of what is said. Narratives can be completely made up or they can be completely factual.What we do know when we call something a narrative is that it will be structured to have beginning, a middle and an end...and that there will be a problem in the passage (at least one) which is likely to be resolved.
2. The Bible contains more narratives than any other genre or form. There are many types of narratives; call stories, miracles, summary stories, sagas and epics.
So be careful: think about what you do naturally: when you know what the literary form is, you know how to interpret it. We must make sure we teach this to our students.
Definitions
The Bible Doctor accepts the definitions of recount and narrative as proposed by O'Brien.
The term recount is used to refer to any story in which the main character has no complication, crisis or hurdle to overcome (O'Brien, 1996, p. 84). A recount provides a chronological account of what happens, but within the story, nothing dramatic happens.
In contrast, a narrative is a story in which the main character encounters a complication or hurdle to overcome. Something dramatic takes place.
Thus, it is the presence of conflict differentiates a recount from a narrative.
O’Brien, D. (1992) Writing in the Primary School. Melbourne: Longman Chesire Pty. Ltd
The above is an adapted excerpt from a paper presented at the AARE conference in 2007 (http://www.aare.edu.au/07pap/kig07055.pdf)
The Bible Doctor accepts the definitions of recount and narrative as proposed by O'Brien.
The term recount is used to refer to any story in which the main character has no complication, crisis or hurdle to overcome (O'Brien, 1996, p. 84). A recount provides a chronological account of what happens, but within the story, nothing dramatic happens.
In contrast, a narrative is a story in which the main character encounters a complication or hurdle to overcome. Something dramatic takes place.
Thus, it is the presence of conflict differentiates a recount from a narrative.
O’Brien, D. (1992) Writing in the Primary School. Melbourne: Longman Chesire Pty. Ltd
The above is an adapted excerpt from a paper presented at the AARE conference in 2007 (http://www.aare.edu.au/07pap/kig07055.pdf)
So, an initial question! Read the passage you are studying. is there a complication, problem or hurdle to be overcome by the main character? Once you have decided the form, genre click on the link below for information on different types of these two genres: