▁the ▁sources ▁and ▁re da ctions ▁of ▁historical ▁criticism . ▁N arr ative ▁critics ▁choose ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁art istic ▁we aving ▁of ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁texts ▁into ▁a ▁sust ained ▁narr ative ▁picture . ▁The ▁literary ▁scholar ▁Steven ▁We itz man ▁( 1 8 9 2 – 1 9 5 7 ) ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁" n arr ative ▁economy " ▁( om itting ▁comments ▁about ▁the ▁thoughts ▁or ▁emot ional ▁state ▁of ▁a ▁character ) ▁and ▁" n arr ative ▁unity " ▁are ▁what ▁make ▁the ▁text ▁a ▁" work ▁of ▁art ". ▁N arr ative ▁critics ▁encou rage ▁the ▁" imp lied ▁reader " ▁to ▁see ▁bib lic al ▁characters ▁as ▁literary ▁figures , ▁observe ▁text ual ▁unity , ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁narr ator , ▁" imp lied " ▁author ial ▁intent , ▁and ▁to ▁be ▁aware ▁that ▁a ▁narr ative ▁can ▁be ▁interpreted ▁in ▁multiple ▁ways . ▁ ▁This ▁perspective ▁is ▁key , ▁A uer bach ▁says : ▁" Since ▁so ▁much ▁in ▁[ B ible ▁stories ] ▁is ▁dark ▁and ▁incomplete , ▁and ▁since ▁the ▁reader ▁knows ▁that ▁God ▁is ▁a ▁hidden ▁god , ▁[ the ▁reader ' s ] ▁effort ▁to ▁interpret ▁it ▁constantly ▁finds ▁something ▁new ▁to ▁feed ▁on ... ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁end ▁for ▁interpretation ." ▁▁ ▁Life ▁of ▁Jesus ▁research ▁▁ ▁The ▁Qu est ▁for ▁the ▁historical ▁Jesus , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁life ▁of ▁Jesus ▁research , ▁is ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁bib lic al ▁criticism ▁that ▁see ks ▁to ▁re construct