Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-125).

In this first nontechnical description of the principles and procedures of narrative criticism, the author distinguishes literary criticism from various modes of historical criticism - source, form, and redaction - and also delineates several types of literary criticism - structuralist, rhetorical, reader-response, and narrative. He then describes, analyzes, and illustrates the categories that narrative criticism employs, such as implied author and reader, narrator, character, events, settings. - Cover.

pt. 1: Scripture as story -- The Bible and literary criticism -- Literary criticism and historical criticism -- pt. 2: Ways of reading -- Structuralism -- Rhetorical criticism -- Reader-response criticism -- Narrative criticism -- pt. 3: Story and discourse -- Point of view -- Narration -- Symbolism and irony -- Narrative patterns -- pt. 4: Events -- A narrative understanding of events -- Case study: the plot of Matthew -- pt. 5: Characters -- A narrative understanding of characters -- Case study: The religious leaders in the synoptic Gospels -- pt. 6: Settings -- A narrative understanding of settings -- Case study: Settings in the Gospel of Mark -- pt. 7: Story as scripture -- The benefits of narrative criticism -- Objections to narrative criticism -- An expanded hermeneutic.