Includes bibliographic references

Introduction: A passion for communicating the gospel: an account of Tom Boomershine as scholar, teacher, and biblical storyteller / Adam Gilbert Bartholomew with David Rhoads -- Why everything we know about the Bible is wrong: lessons from the media history of the Bible / Robert M. Fowler -- Storytelling world of the first century and the gospels / Holly E. Hearon -- Women on the way: a reconstruction of late first-century women's storytelling / Joanna Dewey -- Oral performance in the New Testament world / Whitney Shiner -- Competing gospels: imperial echoes, a dissident voice / Arthur J. Dewey -- What is performance criticism? / David Rhoads -- Word heard: how hearing a text differs from reading one / Philip Ruge-Jones -- Life, story, and the Bible / Marti J. Steussy -- Taking place/taking up space / Richard W. Swanson -- Performing the living word: learnings from a storytelling vocation / Dennis Dewey -- Interpreting the Bible at the horizon of virtual new worlds / A.K.M. Adam.