Bibliograph

Short stories by Jesus, the enigmatic parables of a controversial rabbi, Amy-Jill Levine

Type

Label

Short stories by Jesus, the enigmatic parables of a controversial rabbi, Amy-Jill Levine

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-308) and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Short stories by Jesus

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

881848400

Responsibility statement

Amy-Jill Levine

Sub title

the enigmatic parables of a controversial rabbi

Summary

The renowned biblical scholar, author of The Misunderstood Jew and general editor for The Jewish Annotated New Testament, interweaves history and spiritual analysis to explore Jesus' most popular teaching parables, exposing their misinterpretations and making them lively and relevant for modern readers. Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus' stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives. In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus' narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these "problems with parables, " taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables' connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us -- and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later

Table Of Contents

How we domesticate Jesus's provocative stories -- Lost sheep, lost coin, lost son -- The good Samaritan -- The kingdom of heaven is like yeast -- The pearl of great price -- The mustard seed -- The Pharisee and the tax collector -- The laborers in the vineyard -- The widow and the judge -- The rich man and Lazarus -- The power of disturbing stories

Classification