Narrative Structures
Overview
The narrative sermon structure uses the plot line of a story to structure the experience of the hearers during a sermon. For example, if a plot begins with conflict and then increases that conflict to build suspense for the hearers, the narrative sermon structure begins with conflict and then increases that conflict to build suspense for the hearers. A narrative sermon structure, therefore, does not necessarily use stories. Instead, it uses the form of a story (i.e., the dynamics of plot) to structure the experience of the hearers during the sermon. As there are many plot forms that authors use to provide the structure of a story (e.g., the epic form or the use of different points of view to relate a single event), so too there are many possibilities for narrative sermon structures. The most popular and widely known narrative form is that proposed by Eugene Lowry, “The Lowry Loop.”
Narrative structures include:
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