Chapter 3

  In our culture today, narratives play an important role within our society.  A universal agreed upon set of stories- traditions, legends and heroes, told across different cultures can help further explain the meaning of life and why things are the way they are. Narratives offer guidelines for “living and for evaluating one’s own life and that of others. We see the power of a narrative in human response to stories, which are narrative in a form but less encompassing than the more comprehensive structures of a particular tradition. Human beings respond to stories and to the goods they manifest. Stories display attributes of the cultures of which they are a part of” (Arnett, Fritz, and Bell, pg. 53). Narrative communication ethics recognizes the nature of human experience, providing a framework appropriate to the given characters in the story. The background displayed in a narrative teaches us how to behave, and how to further grow as people.

  From a storytelling perspective, those who are participating in the dialogue must be able to interpret the message in order to fully understand the underlying meaning (the moral of the story or why the message was told in the first place). A narrative “frames a good and holds implications for action and evaluation of that action; behavior of persons in the narrative should be consistent with the good articulated by the narrative. Religiously and politically grounded communication ethics- for that matter, all story-laden communication ethics- may be framed within a narrative ethic” (Arnett, Fritz, and Bell, pg. 54). Different narratives that are told across cultures give outsiders a look into what is valued in their society and what differing individuals value. Additionally, narratives play an important role within a culture by presenting guidelines through stories on how to act and behave for those who are actively participating in a story.

  For example, a familiar narrative known to most people, especially to Christians, involves the account of Adam and Eve in the secret Garden of Eden. Those who understand the story of Adam and Eve agree, “A moment’s pleasure, results in a lifetime of pain.” This example including the account of Adam and Eve could potentially tie into postmodernity defined as, “a multiplicity of narratives within which persons and communities find meaning, generating rival understandings of virtues and competing views of the good. These competing narratives now take the form of “petite narratives,” a term that acknowledges the existence of more than one understanding of human life and the good” (Arnett, Fritz, and Bell, pg. 38). Biblical narratives help cultures and communities develop a closer connection by developing the underlying message together, and understanding the meaning of human life. To illustrate, Christians celebrate Christmas to acknowledge and rejoice in the birth of Jesus, and do so by getting together with friends and family. During Christmas, my grandma gathers her grandchildren around the Christmas tree and tells different stories about the birth of Jesus and the significance of the holiday as a culture. Similarly with narratives that provide a guideline on how to act, religious narratives also offer the same framework emphasizing the importance of values and morals. From an outsider perspective, religious narratives can also give a more in depth understanding on different religions.