Narrative Conflict in the Four Gospels
Part of the Scripture series:
- Voices from the Margin
- Liturgy + Power
- The Transformed Heart
- The Bible and Catholic Theological Ethics
- Morning Homilies IV
- The Source of All Love
- Jesus and His Enemies
- The Depth of God’s Reach
- What Is the Mission of the Church
- Words to Live By
- A Stranger and You Welcomed Me
- Morning Homilies V
- God's Quad
- Unsettling the Word
- The Liberating Path of the Hebrew Prophets
- La Bibbia dell'Amicizia
- Seeds of Justice
- Jesus Wasn’t Killed by the Jews
- Pope Francis: The Gospel of Matthew
- Mystery and Hermeneutics
- Putting on the Mind of Christ
- The Promise of Deliverance
- Facing Apocalypse
- Dancing in God's Earthquake
- The Gospel of Mark
- To Love this Earthly Life
- Walking with Pope Francis
In narrative analysis, the message expressed in each of the four gospels is conveyed not just through Jesus’ teachings or particular stories but through the overall narrative itself—particularly through the introduction and resolution of conflict. Through dramatic narrative the evangelists show Christians how they are to act in situations of conflict without abandoning the demands of love.
Robert R. Beck is a Catholic priest and professor emeritus of religious studies at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.
