Searching for the Self: Classic Stories, Christian Scripture, and the Quest for Personal Identity

by Adrian T. Smith

“We tend to think of the Bible as a story of redemption,” said Jordan.12 “But that is only one of the plotlines. Within the Old and New Testaments, we may read a story of victory over evil. We may also read a storyline that revolves around growth into maturity.” The speaker had my attention. He continued, “In the Old Testament storyline, the phases of Israel’s leadership develop from priesthood, to royal sage, to prophet. The story arc, from phase to phase, involves increasing freedom and responsibility for the leader. Priests—their responsibility is limited. They must concentrate on strict conformity to the Levitical code. The priesthood symbolizes the childhood phase of Israel’s story. “Kings—these royal sages must exercise their discretion. They need wisdom to extend the Law of Moses to cases not spelt out in the Pentateuch. The monarchy symbolizes the young-adult phase of Israel’s story. “Finally, the Prophets. Rooted in the strict conformity of the priesthood, and the maturing wisdom of the monarchy, the prophet nevertheless transcends these earlier phases. The prophet develops his own God-given vision. The prophetic era symbolizes the mature-adult phase of Israel’s story.”