In this perceptive and provocative new look at the Gospels, John Dominic Crossan begins by observing that the parabolic stories told by Jesus seem remarkably similar to the resurrection stories about Jesus. 'Were the latter intended as parables just as much as the former?' he asks. Could it be that we have been reading parables, presuming them to be history, and misunderstanding both? In other words, could Jesus' use of parables have inspired the Gospel writers to create meaningful, metaphorical stories about Jesus to help them explain who he really was?

John Dominic Crossan

Cover

Title page

Imprint

Dedication

Opening words

Prologue: Story and Metaphor

Part I: Parables Told by Jesus

1. Riddle Parables

2. Example Parables

3. Challenge Parables: Part I

4. Challenge Parables: Part II

5. Challenge Parables: Part III

6. The Kingdom of God

Interlude: The Lure of Parabolic History

Part II: Parables Told about Jesus

7. A Hymn for the Nameless

8. Rhetorical Violence

9. Rome as the New Jerusalem

10. The Visionary Dream of God

Epilogue: History and Parable

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Crossan, John Dominic

Controversial new book by an internationally respected expert on Jesus and his time. Argues that Jesus' parables became the inspiration and model for the way he is presented in the Gospels.

"Offers valuable and accessible insights into the intentions of the evangelists and the revolutionary content of the gospels."--Publishers Weekly

The Good Book Stall

John Dominic Crossan is a name to conjure with, and in this book he gives us his typically challenging view of parables, not just the familiar ones from Our Lord's teaching, but also stories we might not have seen in this way before. The Book of Ruth, for instance, is viewed as a prolonged parable intended to upset the reader's prejudices: the Law says that no Moabite may be part of the People of God; a Moabite woman is shown to be the ancestress of David and indeed of the Messiah himself. So much for Israelite (our) exclusivity!  
  
So, in what he calls 'challenge' parables, as opposed to his other categories of 'riddle' and 'example' parables, Crossan stresses that readers are made to radically re-think their too easily-accepted attitudes.  
  
The subtitle of the book is How fiction by Jesus became fiction about Jesus. After a central interlude about how Caesar crossing the Rubicon moved from history to myth (parable), Crossan moves on to look at events in Jesus' life which, he asserts, are parable rather than historical fact. He may perhaps over-play his hand at times, but there are fascinating and challenging insights to be found here, not least the changing perspective on Rome through the Synoptic Gospels / Acts. In conclusion, Crossan discusses the evidence available for Our Lord's human existence, showing that he was fact rather than himself a figure in a parable.  
  
Crossan writes in an attractive personal style, with comments from his own life experience, and so makes the book an appealing read for open-minded lay Christians.

The Power of Parable

How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus

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The Power of Parable

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