CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.2 Background
2.2.2 Why biblical theology?
2.2.2.3 Role of conflict in narrative
Therefore, understanding the role of narrative is a vital aspect of grasping God’s story.122 It is also essential to teaching the lessons of God’s Word.123 These truths provide the connection to the next section, the role of conflict in narrative.124 However, it is important to remember that this connection is not innovative, but rather largely overlooked in theological circles. Brown (2015:18) states that “in terms of examples of biblical theology done in distinctly and consistently narrative ways, story is only beginning to make its mark”.
Conflict serves at least three important purposes in a story. Firstly, it structures the discourse into a rising action that culminates in a climax (the resolution of a story’s central conflict) and ends with falling action .… Secondly, conflict motivates the action.127 Stories are commonly described as beginning in a state of equilibrium which is destroyed by some conflict. The characters in the story are motivated by this distrubance [sic] to form a plan – that is, to plot – a way of restoring that equilibrium.128 Thirdly, psychologists studying narrative claim that conflict engages the audience. It causes the audience to ask questions and form expectations about the outcome, which propels them forward through the plot.
The importance of this complex role of conflict within a narrative is captured by Smith who states:
If you were to strip everything else away from a story except the conflict, it would still be interesting to listen to. In fact, it’s the only part of a story that can stand on its own and still command an audience. The context alone would be pointless. The challenge alone would be a tease. And the resolution alone would be baseless and therefore powerless to effect change (2017:loc. 2198).
Beginning, then, with Ware’s theory that conflict is an indispensable aspect of the structure of a story, it is important to note that these observations are shared by believers. Smith (2015:loc.
2648), addressing the context of developing a worldview, writes:
Scholars of literature say that every story has an element of conflict in it. The story is about the resolution of that conflict. A story has a setting, and it has characters who have a certain understanding of themselves and their world (the first two worldview questions). In that story, the characters face a challenge or conflict that they must solve or overcome (the final two worldview questions).
In fact, he simply states that “all stories, all plots, depend upon conflict. The element of conflict raises the ‘What is wrong?’ question” (2015:loc. 2858).129 McClellan (2013:18) provides a more practical perspective as he states that “conflict isn’t what ruins a story — far from it! Conflict is
127 Schmidt (2005:18) adds this important distinction: “Conflict is essentially based on a character’s perceptions rather than on reality and on a character’s feelings rather than on facts. If a character has a calm, centered approach to the Conflict in her life, there will be no Conflict on the page. It is the character’s interpretation of the Conflict-provoking event that creates the Conflict and gives it life.”
128 Choy (2017:164) sees this significant connection: “If conflict is the nerve center of story, change is the soul of it. Without change, a story feels lifeless and aimless”.
129 Various definitions abound, but the thematic element is very similar. For example, Steffen (2005:loc.
812) says: “Good stories have a beginning, middle, and end and are driven by conflict and offer resolution”. Hamilton (2014:loc. 213) simply states: “Narratives have a setting, characterization, and plot. Plots are built out of episodes and conflict, and if successful they communicate themes.”
what makes a story great.”130 He adds that “story also says that conflict is not all; conflict is not the end.”131 As this vital role of conflict is grasped and applied to the study of God’s Word, much insight can be gained that previously may have been unnoticed.132
Second, conflict is what inhibits someone’s success in the narrative. It demonstrates what it takes for someone to grow – something stands in the way and must be overcome.133 That victory begins with a decision,134 followed by the implementation of that decision to the situation. McClellan (2013:81) puts this all in perspective as he states: “Conflict makes story possible. Conflict sets the table for change. Conflict pushes characters out of comfort, familiarity, and ease …. Sure, we’d all prefer to forgo the conflict …. Instead we’ll take a good look at the conflict, whatever it may be, and we’ll start imagining the possibilities.” Without conflict, the story does not move forward – in fact, there is no story.135
Third, conflict is what engages the audience – it is what an individual relates to within the story.
Mintle (2015:14) highlights this connection as she states: “Great stories are built on the rise and
130 James (2014:170) states what amounts to a very pertinent clarification as he notices that “a conflict that can be resolved with one choice isn’t a story”. Or, as Buckham and Love (2009:loc. 215) describe it,
“conflict is not an argument or issue that can be resolved with a conversation”.
131 An even more practical application of this truth is Morgan’s (2016:116) ceiling fan principle. He explains that “you do not have a story until something goes wrong …. That’s the way it works with trusting the Lord. We don’t understand faith until something goes wrong. Faith is a matter of relying on the Lord when our story encounters a problem. It’s when we’re caught in the ceiling fan. It’s when we’re slammed against a wall that we have to search out God’s promises in the Bible and claim them by faith. Somehow our Christian faith works best when things go awry.”
132 Here are a number of examples from the study of the Synoptic Gospels of the benefit of exploring Christ’s life in light of conflict. Kingsbury (1992:347) states that “the story of Jesus is one of conflict, so that its plot turns on conflict”. And Hedlun (2013:227-228) discusses the organization of Luke where he writes: “Luke organized and structured the historical data he possessed in the way most likely to achieve his purpose in legitimating to Theophilus the Jesus movement and the social world that emerged among the Jesus followers. Luke’s legitimation purpose brings certain suppositions to bear in the hermeneutical task of understanding sections and passages. One such supposition is that conflicts behind the text drive the legitimation and should inform our understanding of why Luke included specific pericopes, structuring them as he did, and should guide our apprehension of their meaning. Reading Luke-Acts as one concerted legitimation effort provides a higher degree of integration of the meanings of discreet events and accounts into a cohesive whole.” Ruge-Jones (2015:38) delves into not only the conflict within the story itself, but the conflict that the story creates for the audience. He writes: “Any perspectives present in the narrative that conflict with the storyteller’s overall stance are voiced for a reason. The recorded storyteller was addressing through these other voices the continued questions of the gathered audience.” And Resseguie (2005:201) summarises the work and impact of conflict within the biblical narrative. He writes: “Almost all plots involve some clash of actions, ideas, points of views, desires, values, or norms. The conflict may be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or moral. It may add suspense or surprise to a narrative. Or it may develop and elaborate values, beliefs, and norms that may be at conflict with society or the reader.”
133 This idea is captured by McClellan (2013:28) who states: “A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it”.
134 Again, McClellan (2013:52) captures that thought. “Every great story hinges on the choices the characters make.”
135 “A driving feature of any story is its central conflict, the thing that goes wrong and needs to be fixed”, observe Bartholomew and Goheen (2020:23).
fall of conflict. It is through conflict that we identify with the story’s characters and emotionally invest in them. Conflict creates suspense and moves a story forward.136 Without conflict, there would be no tension, no drama, and no struggle between opposing forces.” Wolgemuth and Wolgemuth (2019:18) capture the idea in this way:
Conflict: This is where “the plot thickens.” A struggle of some sort is introduced to the narrative. Tension builds between the protagonist and the antagonist, and this is what makes the story riveting. Page turning. It’s what keeps our attention. The more intense the tension, the less likely it is that we’ll be distracted or doze off.
And so, without conflict, the narrative is no story. However, a story where conflict is overcome successfully brings the desired closure to the audience. Petersen (1985:13) writes:
Closure, finally, refers to ‘the ending that fulfills the story, creates its coherence, and rounds off everything’ by satisfying expectations generated in the course of the narration …. Closure is the relief of a happy ending, the frustration of a last straw, the
‘now I understand’ which comes at the end of an intricate plot, whether we are given its resolution directly by the narrator or led by the narrator to draw an inevitable conclusion for ourselves.
Why is this role of conflict in narrative so important? Well, as Fant (2010:169) comments, “a lack of conflict or a shallow imbalance does not comport with the experiences of the world outside of the faith. It is, in the most literal sense, unrealistic. If it is unrealistic, then it is irrelevant.”137 The world needs redemptive stories of God’s transforming grace in order to see hope for their situation.138 Without conflict, there is no story to relate to. Fant continues with this application:
“This means that Christian writers should be masters of the art of writing about conflict”
(2010:178).139 Why? Because, as McClellan (2013:53) says, “In seeking to understand God
136 “Setting and genre and aesthetics are important, but once you’re in the middle of it, the characters and the choices they make are what captivate us”, writes McClellan (2013:52).
137 This is analogous to what Marsh is addressing (in the context of Corinth) when he writes: “The moment a hearer or reader of the text recognises that what the text is ‘about’ is division – or at least potential factionalism – within a Christian community, then the de facto existence of known contemporary factions is unavoidable as a factor in reading” (2003:158).
138 McClellan (2013:20) puts it this way: “Story is who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going.
Story is a call to action. Story is an invitation into something bigger than ourselves.” He continues by explaining that “the story – the character, the objective, the conflict, the resolution – teaches me to better understand the life and self God has given (and is giving) me” (2013:37).
139 An interesting application is seen in the statement of Egan (1986:25) where he advocates for “a model for teaching that draws on the power of story ... will ensure that we set up a conflict or sense of dramatic tension at the beginning of our lessons and units. Thus we create some expectation that we will satisfy at the end.” That thought was expanded further by Johnson et al. (2000:29-30) who write: “Conflict gains attention and holds interest. All drama, for example, hinges on conflict. When playwrights want to gain an audience’s attention – stir their interest and emotional involvement – they create a conflict. A general
through narrative, we’re seeking more – more than our limited experiences, more than our present emotions, more than a grandfatherly abstraction, more than a list of prohibitions and obligations.
We’re seeking His person.” The message of conflict is integral to God’s story, and so, believers should be well versed in its use and importance.
The next question is whether this understanding of conflict is normative, and the answer is no.
There are definitely some who have a good grasp of the role, benefit, and use of conflict, but the majority do not. Furthermore, what is understood accurately is not in any semblance of connectivity.140 This is the reason why the next section must address the need for a BTOC.