MidAmerica Nazarene University’s new Narrative Studies major prepares students to become compelling storytellers across a wide range of media, including literature, film, theater, and ministry. According to Dr. Daniel Schwabauer, professor of English, the goal is to equip graduates with tools to influence culture with purpose and integrity in a variety of vocations. The major is available this fall.
Schwabauer says that through creative practice and critical analysis, students will craft original narratives such as short stories, myths, fables, screenplays, stage plays, podcasts, etc. The goal of the program is to immerse students in narrative patterns and train them to be storytellers capable of adapting content to form.
Hands-on experiences in writing, performance, and collaborative production will enable students to create a portfolio of their work and gain practical skills to pursue careers in writing, media, publishing, communication, ministry, and more.
Faith integration is layered throughout this program as students learn how to express Christian truth through stories that engage hearts and minds.
“I believe the principles of storytelling are widely applicable in many fields, including missions and ministry work, marketing, teaching, pre-law, and any place where good communication and leadership are required,” he said. “Stories are simply the best way to communicate ideas that resonate over time—a truth Jesus taught and employed through his enduring parables.”
Whether leading a creative team, writing for screen or stage, or simply changing a conversation in their community, Schwabauer expects graduates of the program to understand how to use story as a powerful tool for transformation.
Schwabauer knows how powerful storytelling can be. He’s the creator of The One Year Adventure Novel (OYAN) homeschool curriculum and summer workshop. Each year, hundreds of high school students go through the curriculum and create an original novel. Schwabauer and his wife, Carrol, an adjunct art professor at MNU, have held the workshop at MNU since 2010, long before they began teaching at the university.
An award-winning author himself, Schwabauer recently released his latest book, The God of Story: Discovering the Narrative of Scripture Through the Language of Storytelling.
“I’ve studied the universal human language of story all my adult life,” he says. “This book, which was initially written as a doctoral dissertation, is the result of seeing narrative patterns in scripture that are often overlooked or misunderstood. I wrote The God of Story to explore the wondrous nature of story and how it illuminates everyday human life and the life of Christ.
Schwabauer says the book is for anyone interested in understanding the Bible better.
Quoting from his book, Schwabauer says, “The story of Jesus is the one true story that gives meaning to all the others—which is why the language of that story is not just the language of humanity; it is the language of life.” Schwabauer is the perfect fit for creating the new narrative studies major. His professional work includes textbooks, stage plays, radio scripts, short stories, newspaper columns, comic books, animation scripting for PBS, and theology.
Learn more about narrative studies at mnu.edu/undergrad/narrative-studies.
