Ebook: The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus

"One of the main ways Jesus taught people was through the use of parables. Through an exploration of the literary genre popular in the ancient world, distinguished Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan dissects the versions we read in the Gospels to get back to what Jesus really intended to teach. Next, Crossan reveals how Jesus's use of parables inspired the Gospel writers themselves to come up with meaningful, metaphorical stories of Jesus to help them explain their own views of who they thought this Messiah really was. By unlocking the meaning and purposes of the Gospel's parables, we can arrive at a better portrait of this enigmatic and charismatic Jewish figure who transformed his world and the next two thousand years of history"--;Parables told by Jesus. Riddle parables : so that they may not understand -- Example parables : go and do, or don't do, likewise -- Challenge parables, part I : down from Jerusalem to Jericho -- Challenge parables, part II : the word against the word -- Challenge parables, part III : let anyone with ears to hear listen! -- The kingdom of God : the challenge of collaboration -- The lure of parabolic history : Caesar at the Rubicon -- Parables told about Jesus. A hymn for the nameless : the Parable Gospel according to Mark -- Rhetorical violence : the Parable Gospel according to Matthew -- Rome as the new Jerusalem : the Parable Gospel according to Luke-Acts -- The visionary dream of God : the Parable Gospel according to John.