Narrative, Mind, and Meaning: Redeveloping Literary Approaches to the New Testament with Special Attention to the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts

Interpreting New Testament narratives responsibly requires borrowing methodology from literary theory and linguistics. While these latter have undergone major developments influenced by insights from cognitive science, New Testament studies has remained mostly unmoved by these changes. This stagnation has resulted in one-sided interpretations with far-reaching consequences for the theological meaning of these texts that are formative for many believers. The result of this project will provide an updated theory for New Testament narrative interpretation. Moreover, it will demonstrate its beneficial application in Luke-Acts concerning the theme of salvation. The connection between narrative, mind, and creation of meaning will be depicted.