Theology and Narrative: A Critical Introduction

by Michael Goldberg

Is the use of narrative as a method of doing theology justified? This volume, one of the first critical analyses of the subject, makes a strong case for such theology. Michael Goldberg explores the notion that all convictions are founded in some narrative and looks at the theological implications of biography and autobiography. He does so by considering the works of Carol P. Christ, James H. Cone, Joseph Fletcher, James Wm. McClendon, Jr, James W. Fowler, Will D. Campbell, Elie Wiesel, H. Richard Niebuhr, Hans W. Frei, Irving Greenberg, and others. After carefully examining the meaning, truth, and rationality of narrative theology, Goldberg summarizes its validity and describes ways that narrative might be used for theology in the future.

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Michael Goldberg is a nationally-acclaimed writer and speaker. He has held two university chairs in religious studies, worked with an international strategic management consulting firm, served as a professional ethicist with the Georgia Supreme Court as well as with various hospital ethics committees, and as an ordained rabbi, provided support to religiously-diverse patients and their families as an ICU and hospice chaplain.

Goldberg completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy at Yale received his Ph.D. in systematic theology and philosophy of religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[James Klagge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly 40 years old, but it aged pretty well. The idea, that narrative is crucial in theology and ethics, is fairly well accepted now. I'm looking at it with the question in mind of narrative in philosophy.
This book is a reworked dissertation, so it covers a lot of ground. I especially enjoyed that it had discussions of James Cone, Stanley Hauerwas, Will Campbell, and Elie Wiesel.

[Craig Case · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goldberg provides a sort of primer on the recent phenomenon of Narrative Theology (when I say recent, I'm taking a long view of history - this movement began in the 70's). Despite unnecessary constructs for his evaluation of the Narrative typology and key figures, he provides a solid landscape of this critically important area.