Textual Community Seth Postell on the Art of Narrative Analogy
Nov 4, 2025
Seth Postell, academic dean of Israel College of the Bible and a biblical scholar, dives deep into the intriguing world of narrative analogy. He shares insights from his book, emphasizing how analogy, a fundamental aspect of human thought, enriches our understanding of scripture. Postell contrasts narrative analogy with typology, advocating for its exegetical strength. He explores captivating parallels, like David and Joseph, arguing they reveal critical theological insights. With a layperson's guide, Seth aims to make these complex ideas accessible and encourages long-term reflection in interpretation.
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Family Conversion Sparked a Scholarly Journey
- Seth Postell grew up Jewish in New Jersey and described his family's painful history and initial hostility to Jesus.
- His mother reading Isaiah and subsequent conversions led him into learning Hebrew and biblical studies to defend his faith.
Analogy As An Interpretive Engine
- Narrative analogy is a literary tool authors use to interpret history within the text itself.
- Missing intentional analogies causes readers to miss the author's intended meaning.
Text-Centered Meaning Over Event Reconstruction
- The grammatical-historical approach seeks to reconstruct events while the literary approach seeks the interpretation contained in the text.
- The text itself embodies the inspired author's intent and must guide our meaning-finding.
