Hear Then the Parable [Paperback]

Bernard Brandon Scott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1989

Hear Then the Parable is an innovative literary-social reading of all the parables of Jesus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 478 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800624815
• ISBN-13: 978-0800624811
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenges The Traditional, May 6, 2000

By 

T. Kevin Higgs (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hear Then the Parable (Paperback)

I strongly disagree with the previous reviewer. Brandon Scott provides a challenging reading of the parables by proposing ways of hearing them that are set apart from the later Christian interpretations of the parables that were edited into the Gospels of the New Testament. Scott's theory, which he successfully defends, is that Jesus' parables were much more revolutionary, much more critical of the social/political/religious culture of Jesus' lifetime than those versions that were more spiritualized, made more palatable for the widespread proclimation of the Christian faith in the late 1st Century. Do I agree with every theory of every parable in Scott's book? No. However, his reading is one of the most insightful and historically valid interpretations of the parables that I have read. Along with John D. Crossan's book, "In Parables," Scott's book brings Jesus' message to new light. As a United Methodist pastor, who preaches Jesus' parables with passion, Scott's challenging interpretation helps me broaden my understanding of Jesus' message.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Contemporary Standard for the Study of Parables, November 8, 2005

By 

Timothy Kearney (Haverhill, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hear Then the Parable (Paperback)

Jesus' parables are perhaps his most endearing words, but they are also challenging. Over the centuries there have been vast and varied interpretations of these seemingly simple stories. All a reader needs to do is examine what the great writers of Christianity, beginning with the Patristics, had to say about the parables to see how these stories have been viewed and used over the centuries. It's easy to understand why the parables can have so many different interpretations. Most of the stories are drawn from daily life and since we all have different daily experiences, it is only natural things could be viewed differently. It's also a good thing. It demonstrates that Jesus' words are still both living and challenging.

Bernard Brandon Scott's HEAR THEN THE PARABLE has become a standard commentary on the parables and is used frequently in scripture study classes on the college and graduate level. The work is copious. He gives a thorough background to the literary form known as the parable. He also discusses a number of the parables in depth, examining how they are sued by the different evangelists, looking at them from a literary point of view, and trying to place them in the context of Jesus' ministry. Some of his interpretations can be somewhat far fetched and some readers may even consider them irreverent (as a few of the other Amazon reviewers have noted). Even if a reader does not agree with all of his conclusions, or may consider him somewhat flip, he can't be faulted for his research. He presents in a succinct manner all that is available which is itself a service.

As far as parables are concerned, Scott's book is not the first one I look to for ideas for homilies or Bible study lessons. Pheme Perkins' now out of print HEARING THE PARABLES OF JESUS is my first choice. I suppose it's ironic that I first read Scott's book when I took a course with Dr. Perkins at Boston College. Still, I do refer to it somewhat often when I need an idea clarified. While it may not be the most helpful pastoral commentary, it is great for study. He presents a variety of scholarship in each of his entries and has a large bibliography which can lead a reader to a variety of sources.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent insights, March 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Hear Then the Parable (Paperback)

I just read this book and thought it was great. The author's insights into the parables of Jesus made them much more credible to me. Better grounding in history makes my faith stronger.