Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and Interpretation

Description

Modern scholarship on the parables has long been preoccupied with asking what Jesus himself said and what he intended to accomplish with his parables. Ruben Zimmermann moves beyond that agenda to explore the dynamics of parabolic speech in all its rich complexity. Introductory chapters address the history of research and distinguish historical from literary and reader-oriented approaches, then set out a postmodern hermeneutic that analyzes narrative elements and context, maps the sociohistorical background, explores stock metaphors and symbols, and opens up contemporary horizons of interpretation. Subsequent chapters then focus on one parable from early Christian sources (Q, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and the Gospel of Thomas) to explore how parables function in each literary context. Over all reigns the principle that the meaning or theological "message" of a parable cannot be extracted from the parabolic form; thus the parables continue to invite hearers' and readers' involvement to the present day. About the Author Ruben Zimmermann is professor of New Testament studies in the department of Protestant theology at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, and coeditor of Imagery in the Gospel of John (2006), Moral Language in the New Testament (2010), Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel (2013), and, on the parables, Kompendium der Gleichnisse Jesu (2007) and Hermeneutik der Gleichnisse Jesu (2008). Preface and Acknowledgments xi Part I. Three Approaches to Parables 1. Introduction The Parables of Jesus: A Hermeneutical Challenge 4 The Search for an Integrative Approach to Parables 16 3 2. Understanding the Parables over the Past Century: An Overview of the History of Research Historical Approaches 23 Literary Approaches 31 Reader-Oriented and Theological Approaches 42 21 3. Historical Approaches: Parables as Media for Remembering Jesus Parables and the Quest for the Historical Jesus 58 The Memory Paradigm and Parables 76 Parables as Media for Remembering Jesus 87 The Socio-Historical Background of the Parables 99 57 4. Literary Approaches: The Parable Genre—a New Definition The Classic Genre Distinctions and Their Critics 107 Does Ancient Rhetoric Help? 127 The Parable Genre—a Definition 132 105 5. Reader-Oriented Approaches: A Playing Field for Polyvalent Parables Language Needs a Reader 151 Incarnational Theology in the Making 158 Polyvalent Interpretation: More than One Truth? 163 Narrative Ethics: The Reader Is Urged to Act 174 151 Part II. How to Interpret a Parable 6. Reading and Analyzing Parables Mapping the Field: Exploring the Diversity of Jesus’ Parables 183 Interpreting a Parable (a Methodological Proposal) 191 183 7. The Lost Sheep (Q/Luke 15:1–7) and the Parables in Q The Q Document and Its Parables 212 The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Q 15:1–7) 216 Further Literature 234 211 8. The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30–32) and the Parables in Mark Parables in the Gospel of Mark 237 The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30–32) 240 Further Literature 258 237 9. The Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1–13) and the Parables in Matthew Parables in the Gospel of Matthew 261 The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) 265 Further Literature 291 261 10. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–35) and the Parables in Luke Parables in the Gospel of Luke 293 The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–35) 297 Further Literature 329 293 11. The Dying and Living Grain (John 12:24) and the Parables in John Parables in the Gospel of John 333 The Parable of the Dying and Living Grain (John 12:24) 339 Further Literature 359 333 12. The Empty Jar (Gos. Thom. 97) and the Parables in Thomas Parables in the Gospel of Thomas 362 The Parable of the Empty Jar (Gos. Thom. 97) 367 Epilogue 390 Further Literature 391 361 Literature 393 Index of Names and Subjects 451 Index of Ancient Texts 461