Review of Douglas Webster, "The Parables" (Kregel Academic, 2021) (original) (raw)
Related papers
The challenge of Jesus’ parables A scholarly handbook for ministers and preachers
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2006
The parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels are profoundly challenging, not only as far as their original audience is concerned, but equally so as far as present day readers, hoping to fully grasp their meaning, are concerned. Renewed efforts to interpret these parables were made by a number of first-rate scholars, who published their research results in a book entitled “The challenge of Jesus parables”, which forms part of the McMaster New Testament Studies Series. This review essay focuses on some of the book’s main characteristics, in particular the resurgence of allegory, the Gospel contextualization of the parables and their application to contemporary issues of life.
A parable in Greek-Roman, Old Testament and rabbinic literature
2014
One of the aspects that biblical hermeneutics deals with is the question of literary genres present in the Holy Scriptures. A parable is certainly a distinctive genre of biblical literature. We find it most frequently in the Gospels because Jesus used this genre in his teaching very often. Why? Not without a reason was Jesus called the Teacher. He was the Teacher in the full meaning of the word and he was aware of that his listeners – often very simple people – on more than one occasion might have difficulty understanding remarkable secrets he preached to them. That is why he applied different methods in accordance with the principles of rhetoric in order to impact the widest audience. Due to parables – short stories that convey a comparison of some known life situations or pictures – he could certainly easier influence a significant number of listeners and impart them in a simple way sublime contents of the kingdom of God, God’s love, mercy and salvation. Countless publications of ...
Jewish and Christian Perspectives 39, 2024
Case studies and methodology on the comparative study of parables in Synoptic, Rabbinic, and Early Christian sources. Papers delivered at the Utrecht 201i9 closing Conference of the project Parables and the Partings of the Ways (2014-2020)
Van Eck, E., 2008, Snodgrass, K.R., 2008, Stories with intent: A comprehensive guide to the parables of Jesus, William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, Grand Rapids, in Review of Biblical Literature 10/2008, http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/6403\_6901.pdf., 2008
Stories with intent is a comprehensive guide to the parables of Jesus for pastors and teachers. As the title of the book indicates, Snodgrass understands the parables of Jesus as stories (expanded analogies) with intent: they seek to make a rhetorical point and were used by Jesus to explain and convince. Most of Jesus' parables are considered to be double indirect communication in that they do not speak of the hearers/readers or the subject at hand; they use other persons and subjects to address the hearer indirectly. Snodgrass suggests the following classification of the parables: aphoristic sayings, similitudes (double indirect extended analogy that lacks plot development), interrogative parables (parables that are presented entirely as questions), double indirect narrative parables (metaphoric analogies with plots), juridical parables (parables that elicit a selfcondemnation from the hearer through the aid of an image), single indirect parables (example stories), and "how much more" parables (parables that say that God's actions far exceeds or is not like the person depicted in the parable).