Approach to Salvation

Narrative Theology is an approach to Christian theology that emphasizes the role of story and human experience in understanding and articulating faith. Unlike Systematic Theology, which seeks to distill theological truths into universal and fixed principles, Narrative Theology operates on the premise that faith is better understood as a dynamic and unfolding narrative, shaped by the personal and communal dimensions of life. Historically, Narrative Theology emerged as a response to the perceived rigidity of traditional theological frameworks, advocating for a theology that is deeply rooted in the lived realities of human existence and the ongoing story of God's interaction with creation.

One of the key insights of Narrative Theology is that human lives are shaped by the stories we inhabit. Consider the spectrum of lower-brain and higher-brain at the top Inquiry 1 diagram from class, which highlights how our physical and emotional conditions influence the way we understand and narrate our experiences over the course of our lives. For example, moments of joy, suffering, growth, or loss are not just isolated events but become threads in the broader tapestry of our lives. These stories are woven into the context of our relationships, communities, and ultimately our faith journeys, offering a lens through which divine presence and action can be discerned. In this way, Narrative Theology situates salvation not as a static endpoint but as a dynamic and unfolding story that resonates with the entirety of human life.

To illustrate these connections further, consider this epistemological map of salvation. In placing Narrative Theology next to Cosmological and Ontological arguments, perhaps it will become more clear how this framework of belief can be quite deductive in nature. This reveals that Narrative Theology is not simply about subjective interpretation but is grounded in a structured, almost even a “systematic” way of understanding! Hopefully this will develop a greater understanding of Narrative Theology without alienating itself within Christian Theology.

Narrative Theology finds resonance with key arguments in classical theology, such as Anselm's Ontological Argument. Anselm's reasoning begins with the idea that God, as the greatest conceivable being, must exist in reality. Narrative Theology expands on this concept by suggesting that the greatest story we can imagine—the story of a God who creates, redeems, and sustains the universe—also unfolds within each of us. Rather than treating God as a distant abstraction, Narrative Theology presents God's presence as intricately woven into the stories of the universe and the individual. It emphasizes that the grand narrative of creation and salvation is mirrored in our own lives, inviting us to see our personal journeys as part of this greater story. This perspective transforms abstract reasoning into a lived experience, connecting the cosmic scale of God's story to the intimate realities of human existence.

Another classical argument that enriches the discussion of Narrative Theology is Aquinas's Cosmological Argument, which posits that the existence of the universe requires a first cause or unmoved mover— something that exists necessarily and gives rise to all contingent realities. Narrative Theology draws on this idea to emphasize that the ultimate source of our stories, and the meaning within them, is God. The unfolding narrative of salvation reflects the broader cosmological truth that there is an ultimate purpose and order to existence, even as it is experienced through the messiness and unpredictability of life.