Winn Griffin

Date of Award

3-2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

Abstract

The real-world ministry problem addressed in this dissertation is: Scripture is often read and studied in a de-storied, fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment Project. This problem will be addressed by: proposing a theological narrative (Stor/) as the alternative way of reading and studying Scripture.

Section 1 will discuss the problem of how readers of Scripture can be helped to understand themselves within the larger narrative of the Story presented from Genesis to Revelation. Section 2 will discuss the problem of reading the text of Scripture in a fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment's propensity toward propositional thinking aided by the addition of chapters and verses from the 1500s. In Section 3 we will show that the antidote to foundationalism' s fragmented reading is story by reviewing some proposed solutions to the problem of fragmentation. These will include "over the counter program" solutions and one very real solution. Section 4 will offer a thesis that claims that the best way to understand Scripture is by grasping its metanarrative. As an antidote to reading fissiparously, Section 5 outlines a solution to the problem in a project in the form of a study guide which is a look at the Story presented in Scripture, ordered in Tom Wright's five-act play model2 with an addition of a prologue, which can be used as curriculum. Section 6 provides an overview of the project specifications noting such areas as audience and budget. Section 7 is a postscript that will review and evaluate the project while offering suggestions for further study.

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