The overarching storyline of the Bible is commonly described as progressing through four major narrative movements: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.

### Why this is right The handbook compares the broad shape of the biblical story to a U: creation begins in goodness, human sin brings corruption, and the story moves toward the defeat of evil and restoration. ### The concept This is a broad interpretive outline, not a claim that every biblical book follows the same plot. The Bible’s many episodes and genres contribute to its larger movement. The Cross is the lowest point of suffering in this pattern, yet the Resurrection makes it the basis for salvation. ### Terms - **Fall**: The biblical account of humanity’s entrance into sin and the resulting corruption of the created world. ### Remember Use the U-shaped outline as a guide to the whole story, not as a substitute for reading individual books in context.