Parables, Part 2: The Parables of Jesus

About this course:

The parables of Jesus make up approximately one third of his recorded teachings and were the prototype for the genre. They are seemingly simple and memorable stories, and all teach a lesson in daily life. In this course, we read parables found in the Synoptic Gospels—the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in the New Testament—and in some of the non-canonical gospels. These parables contain allegorical elements and refer to simple everyday things, such as a woman baking bread, a man knocking on his neighbor's door at night or the aftermath of a roadside mugging. We discuss how these and other parables of Jesus address major religious, as well as spiritual and ethical themes, such as the growth of God’s kingdom from small beginnings, the importance of prayer and the meaning of love.