The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation: Volume One: The Gospel According to Luke

Robert C. Tannehill's monograph, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation (Volume 1: The Gospel of Luke) is a commentary on the narrative unity of the Lukan narratives, examining how the text's individual narrative units contribute to accomplish Luke's overarching purpose to demonstrate God's redemptive plan through Christ and his followers. Recent developments in biblical and non-biblical literary narrative criticism have allowed the author to examine the Lukan texts from a new perspective, offering insights into the language, patterns, contrasts, ironies, pathos, and many other features that make up the literary whole. Tannehill's effort to probe the text through the lens of narrative criticism reappraises some of the familiar dominant themes in Luke, further enhancing the understanding of the text and illuminating previously uncharted narrative trajectories and progressions of Lukan thought. Similar to the other Synoptics, the Gospel of Luke is written in a vivid, episodic style, yet with little apparent linkage to the sequence of the story as a whole. From Luke's second volume, it is clear that the author is proficient at stringing together common themes and producing a coherent story, yet the low contextual nature of the Gospel narrative appears to leave significant gaps in the story, leaving modern readers without a seamless understanding of the unity of the narrative. However, after careful analysis of the plot and major characters, a single controlling purpose emerges- the purpose of God, connecting the individual episodes and creating a rich literary tapestry that enhances the understanding of unity of the text and its interpretation. To assist in unravelling the complexity of the narrative connections and elucidating an interpretive context for understanding the mission of Jesus and his witnesses, Tannehill explores key literary disclosures that function as signposts, providing direction through the narrative maze and enabling the identification of various thematic routes within the text. Special attention is given to a wide range of individuals and groups encountered in the narrative and Jesus' developing relationships with these groups or individuals. The author examines Jesus' ministry to the oppressed and excluded, his interactions with the crowd, his encounters with authorities, and his relationships with the disciples and followers. Avoiding technical terms of literary theory employed by other commentaries, Tannehill seeks to enliven Luke's literary design to achieve narrative and ideological progression and emphasize how the narrative rhetoric unfolds to effectively communicate how God's purposes are accomplished in the world.