Narrative, Calling, and Missional Identity in 1 Peter Between Promise and Inheritance

A story well-told and subsequently imbibed by its recipients has the power to shape one’s beliefs, identity, and way of life. So, what happens when a person or community is swept up in such a story? In this study, Shaw draws upon the dual methodologies of Narrative Transportation and Social Identity theories to consider how 1 Peter’s use of Old Testament narratives and καλέω language serves to ‘transport’ it’s recipients into an identity defined as ‘elect sojourners’. Amidst suffering, 1 Peter ‘calls’ the Anatolian believers to a priestly ministry, blessing their antagonists as they await their eternal glory in Christ.