Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. David DeJong, Religion
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-17-2026
Abstract
The storytelling animal. This eclectic title was coined by Alasdair MacIntyre in his famous philosophical work After Virtue. Notice MacIntyre does not call man “the working animal who also tells stories,” nor the “rule following animal who enjoys the trivial pursuit of narrative.” He calls man the storytelling animal because he has discovered that stories are not the just one characteristic of the human experience, they are so much more. To be a human is to be a storyteller, and to be a storyteller is to be human. This claim is not specific to philosophers like MacIntyre, but is an interdisciplinary discovery. Psychologists, neuroscientists, and literary theorists alike have explored this concept and come to the same conclusion: Stories are fundamental to human meaning-making, identity formation, and social relationships.
The impact of narrative is an entire study on its own, but it gains a great deal of nuance when we study it in conversation with the biblical narrative. This presentation is the product of a months-long research project between Old Testament Scholar Dr. David DeJong and I. Together we have been exploring different perspectives on the biblical meta-narrative, and relating them to their implications for Christian life and mission, all through the lens of the psychological and philosophical importance of story. Our work argues that Scripture takes on its unique form in order that we may use it to form our identities. To make meaning and to relate to God and others through it. God has never been obligated to create a narrative for us, yet through the inspiration of His people, He has provided us stories to live by and learn from.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Jones, Samantha, "The Storied Life: Biblical Metanarrative and The Human Experience" (2026). 25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026). Paper 15.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curca_25/15
April 17, 2026. Copyright © 2026 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Comments
This project was supported by Third Reformed Church Faculty Development Fund.
Title on poster differs from abstract booklet. Poster title: The Storied Life: What the Biblical Narrative Shows us About the Human Experience