ANTONY JOHN BAPTIST, THUS SPOKE THE BIBLE: BASICS OF BIBLICAL NARRATIVES

This book was originally published in 2016 and was well-received by the student community, with the initial copies now sold out. It emerged from the author’s four years of scriptural study in Rome, as well as his doctoral research in India on the Hagar episode in Genesis 16. The author now presents a revisedand expanded edition of this work.The author adopts a narratological approachto the Bible, with a particular focus on the Hagar episode in Genesis 16, aiming to create a new manual for students and readers interested in biblical storytelling. He demonstrates how narratology contributes to reading the Bible as Scripture for a community of believers. The author’s goal is to explore reader-response criticism more deeply and to establish a bridge between narratology and the Historical-Critical Method.Ratherthan delving into the differences of opinion among various scholars, the author’s purpose is to introduce and explain the concepts and tools related to narrative criticism, offering a coherent framework for understanding the method. He also seeks to consolidate the ideas of key figures in Narrative Criticism into one accessible volume, using simple terms, examples, and applications, particularly with regard to Genesis 16.