This is the first in a series of articles exploring the benefits and challenges of being a thoughtful reader of narrative literature.

It is no secret that people love stories. The most recent book industry data indicates that fiction and literature related books make up over 22 percent of the books published yearly, two times more than any other competing subject.¹ From Ovid to O’Connor, Euripides to Ellison, we are capable of being wrapped up in a host of narratives written by authors across the ages.

And yet, though we are capable, the casual observer of evangelical of Christianity is not likely to note a hearty appreciation of literature in our midst. But, then again, why should he? Is there a compelling reason for Christians to invest their time and effort in becoming keen readers of long, looming novels shaped by seemingly impenetrable plot lines?

An understanding of the complexity of the diverse narratives woven together over the course of sacred scripture nudges us toward an affirmative answer. The reflective reader of the Bible understands that a concerted effort of considerable length is required to read along its plot line, to rightly take in its twists and turns, and to ultimately see Christ as its central character. For instance, one must have some understanding of character development, plot resolution, and the function of irony in order to see the true beauty of the Good Shepherd, slain as the Lamb of God, ultimately resurrected and seated upon the Throne. It is precisely in the pages of the “classics” that we will be exposed to such literary devices and can train ourselves to spot them.

In short, thoughtful reading of narrative literature has the ability to make us better readers of redemptive-history, and thus, of the Gospel. It enables us to read the Bible as the story of God’s redemptive activity in the world, rather than as a group of loosely joined together documents. At the same time it also drives us back to the Gospel. The conflicting ideas of authors and characters bump up against our own understanding of the world, causing us to return to the narrative of the Gospel with questions, and to ultimately find our hope in the person and work of Christ.

In the end our belief in the Gospel and our engagement with stories become dialogical. We are driven to read stories so that we might become better readers of redemptive-history. These stories in turn drive us back to the Gospel where we again find our hope in Christ. In this way our reading habits will mirror our lives: we are driven by the power of the Gospel to live in the world, a world which offers constant reminders of our brokenness, which send us back once again to the hope that is found in Christ.

1. “Bowker Industry Report, New Book Titles & Editions, 2002-2008.” Book Industry Statistics. 2009. Bowker. 18 Aug. 2009. The most current complete data is from 2007. These figures do not include “unclassified” published works.