Customer Reviews

Jacob & the Prodigal: How Jesus Retold Israel's Story

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kenneth Bailey, one of my pastor's professors from seminary, is a real expert on the cultures of the Middle East and both their impact on the way the Judaeo-Christian Scriptures were written and how they should be interpreted by Western Bible students today. I purchased this volume out of curiosity after reading another of Dr. Bailey's books (which I've also reviewed here). I was not disappointed, however I will warn all readers: his books are not for the light reader! This is HEAVY material! Very scholarly stuff, replete with citations and endnotes ad nauseam! If you are a SERIOUS student of the Bible and you want to delve deeply into the exegetical mysteries of the texts, you'll love Dr. Bailey's books. If not, you'll probably find them insufferably dry and so exhaustively detailed as to suffocate your interest in the subject matter.

This book is stunning, and for multiple reasons. I've known Ken for much of my life, and I never cease to be mesmerized by his teaching. His insights into the parables are unparalleled. I came away from this book awed by the brilliance Jesus displayed in his story telling. I also came away with a renewed appreciation for God's grace revealed in Christ. I can't recommend this book enough, along with Ken's other work. His 30 minute videos are also incredible.

There are portions of the Bible that are shockingly powerful and clear. One such portion is Luke 15 with the Parable of the Lost Sheep/Lost Coin/Lost Son. Bailey is as fine a commentator on this subject as you may find seeing how through this parable Jesus is retelling Israel's story and our own. Simply terrific (as are Bailey's other works!).

This is one of the finest presentations of the importance of knowing the cultural and linguist background for interpreting the New Testament that I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

Great book. Bailey makes a persuasive case that the story of the Prodigal son is a retelling of the Jacob story. The prodigal son is not a contemporizing of the Jacob story like West Side Story is to Romeo and Juliet. Rather it is a retelling with the crucial elements reversed, slightly altered or preserved. The differences reveal the ministry and mission of Jesus better than the most exhaustive systematic theology. This book goes beyond Poet and a Prophet.

Jesus is a master storyteller. This book facilitates understanding why.

Certainly Bailey here further contributes to his work on the Prodigal Son by showing with Mid-Eastern sources how Jesus answers his theological critics by retelling an OT story and inserting himself as the hero reconciling the very enemies' accusing him and thereby inserting them in the story as the ones offered this reconciliation.

Bailey's adept insights into sin, reconciliation and Christology are to be keenly noted and praised and utilized. Certainly and primarily this parable is about Jesus as the reconciler, the key to unlocking not only this parable but the Bible itself.

Worthy of reading, and rereading.

Dr. Kenneth Bailey in my opinion is one of, if not, the premier Christian writer who analyses culture through the eyes of a Middle Easter during the 1st Century. Bailey has written several books concerning the examination of this culture and parables mostly in Luke. He has the unique ability to open ones eyes to examining this scripture in an enlightened manner. Dr. Bailey brings the scripture to life and fully supports God's Word. I highly encourage anyone to read Dr. Bailey's books. His approach to analyzing scripture structure, "rhetoric", can be somewhat academic and make you think you are in a college English class, but once you get through this part, the rest of the book is extremely enjoyable reading at any education level. In this book, he compares the epic story of Jacob to the Jesus' parable in Luke 15. I promise you that you will never look at the story of the Prodigal Son in the same way.

Ken Bailey brings the three parables in Luke 15 to life by giving them the Middle Eastern perspective.
The next step, in understanding who Jesus was, is brilliantly told.
For those who enjoy the nuiances of language, poetry & drama, they are in for a special treat.

I bought this book because our pastor referenced it in a recent sermon. Tremendous insight!! I also bought a couple of other Kenneth Bailey books because it seemed to me to be a good thing to hear what "local" people would feel about these stories. I am impressed and it gives a whole new meaning to my bible study. Context is everything!

I was looking for something a bit more factual based, and historic, with the Hebraicness restored to the tale...as well as the ties of this parable from Messiah TO the People of Israel.

This book did absolutly nothing for me but cause me to shake my head...typical non-Hebraic roots jargon from Modern Christianity instead of original Historical Christianity.

No gold nuggets in the book. I say "don't buy." Completely wasted my money.