Stones and Stories

Book excerpt: Human beings are interpreters. •When, what, and how do we interpret? •Which is more reliable: literal information or symbolic expression? •What consequences—in school and in all of life—are attached to our interpretative judgments? We find answers to these questions in stories. Beginning with the question “What do these stones mean?” in Joshua 4, Stones and Stories examines the elements, purposes, and effects of storytelling and story-writing. Written for high school students, Stones and Stories is filled with questions, writing suggestions, sample essays, and drawing exercises to promote meaningful engagement with Scripture and with literature in general. Its questions are suitable for individual reflection and group study and discussion.