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The Ven. Rob James recently published a book called 50 New Testament Stories for Storytellers. Illustrated by the Rev. Amanda Ruston, the book is designed for experienced storytellers sharing scripture with children. Each story is laid out in two pages of narrative designed for dramatic delivery. 

Shawn Michael Bullock recently sat down with Rob to discuss how and why he decided to write the book. 

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By Shawn Michael Bullock & Rob James

“I wanted to invite people to think about how they might tell Bible stories in an interactive way.”

Who is the book for and how should they use it?

The book is for anyone who wants to tell stories. It could be used by parents and grandparents, teachers, ministers, laity involved in children’s work, really by anyone who wants to tell the Bible in a fresh way

Obviously, people have been telling Bible stories for a long time. What do you feel is unique about the approach you use in your new book, Fifty New Testament Stories for Storytellers?

A lot of storybooks aimed at children seem to focus mostly on the simplification of language. There is often very little scope for how the storyteller might interact with their audience in an meaningful way. The problem with just reading from a Bible is that the text is not always very engaging, and it can sometimes be difficult to comprehend. In writing this book, I wanted to encourage people to go beyond simply reading a story aloud; I wanted to create a way of thinking about how Bible stories might be made more interactive. My storytelling technique finds actions and sounds with which the audience can join in. That means that the story is something that everyone is involved in. The story is not just something that is done to an audience, but rather the audience has a role in shaping how the story is experienced.

Why is it important for children to experience Bible stories in this way?

Children—everyone, really—are more likely to engage at a deeper level with stories that they feel depend on their participation and input. This process is a co-construction of meaning. By adopting the interactive approach, then, I can encourage children’s participation at certain moments to highlight certain elements of the text. In re-telling the 50 New Testament stories selected for this book, I have had to think about the ways in which the interactive elements I introduced help with the flow of the story. Put another way: The actions need to crescendo to the key message, or theological point, of the story.

Can you tell us more about some of the theological choices you made in writing the book?

The stories are crafted with theology in mind. They are written with a learning goal in mind. Each conveys aspects of the wider Christian story. The Bible is the significant book of the Church and yet, at the same time, Biblical literacy is at a low ebb in most places in the West. As a result, I have organised the book so that while each of the stories can be read individually, together they form an arc of the story of Christ. I have also included the specific reference for each of the stories I have written at the top of the relevant page, so that people who use the book can easily find the Biblical text that I have drawn from. I hope that this book will serve as an invitation for others to engage with Biblical text in different ways, and perhaps even create their own interactive stories

What is your experience of using this approach in your ministry as a priest?

When I was a parish priest in the Church of England, I needed to regularly lead children in worship. Virtually every such occasions (of which there could be several a week) started from a Bible text, and I tried to relate the whole worship experience to the text. That meant that I needed a way of telling the Bible stories that was engaging. I used some re-written Bible stories by other people, but I also wrote my own. Over the years, I’ve shared these stories with other minsters and teachers, who report that they are useful to them too. In my experience, the children who came to worship quickly learned that everything revolved around the story that we told at the beginning of the service, and so I began to draw threads across different stories for regular attendees in addition to keeping the approach accessible to newcomers. I have found that adults get things out of the stories just as much as children do. The churches grew. Stories told in this way can unlock new realities of even very familiar stories from the Bible, drawing everyone more deeply in, whatever their age or experience

What else can we look forward to in the upcoming book?

I am very lucky indeed to be in the same diocese as the Rev. Amanda Ruston. Amanda is the Priest in Charge of St. James’, but before ordination, she was a professional illustrator. That means that she is not only amazing at illustrations, but because she is so well versed in the Bible she also completely understands what the stories need. Her illustrations have made the book sing.

Where and when can it be bought?

The book can be bought at any of your usual online or in-person bookstores. It will have wide distribution in Canada, the USA, and the UK.