Parables from the Back Side: Bible Stories With a Twist (Behind the Pages) [Paperback]

J. Ellsworth Kalas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1992 | Series: Behind the Pages

Offers a new understanding of twelve of Jesus' parables by viewing them through the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. Chapter titles: When the Good Samaritan Is Bad News; God Called a Party, but Nobody Came; The Timid Soul; The Seasons of the Soil; The Sad Story of the Embarrassed Farmers; Love Always Wins...Sometimes; Why Doesn't God Like Religious People?; Pardon My Insistence; The Prodigal Who Stayed at Home; A Case for the Un-hired Hand; Moses and the Fig Tree; I Wish I Could Sell You More. 12 Sessions, with a leader's guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. Ellsworth Kalas is professor of Homiletics and has been part of the faculty at Asbury Theological Seminary since 1993, after thirty-eight years as a United Methodist pastor and five years in evangelism with the World Methodist Council.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press; First Edition edition (November 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687056977
• ISBN-13: 978-0687056972
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Different Look at the Parables, September 24, 2001

By 

Michael Wingfield (Columbia MS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parables from the Back Side: Bible Stories With a Twist (Behind the Pages) (Paperback)

With so many different books written about the parables, Kalas takes the reader on a lesser travelled route. Have you ever wondered what we can learn from the victim in the story of the Good Samaritan? Have you ever realized how many times the parables end with a joyous celebration? Have you ever asked what if God threw a party and no one came? If you have never considered any of thse questions, but find them to be intriquing, then definitly pick up this book and prepare yourself for a strong, thought-provoking set of studies. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a refreshing take on learning new insights into the parables.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful guide for 12 week series of adult lessons, August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Parables from the Back Side (Paperback)

Mr. Kalas has the class yearning for more. Open your eyes to a different angle without losing the original or main message of your favoriate parables.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twist on Familiar Lessons from Jesus, September 18, 2008

By 

S. Zimmerman "Small Group Leader" (The Villages FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parables from the Back Side: Bible Stories With a Twist (Behind the Pages) (Paperback)

This gave our study group opportunities to walk in others' shoes, providing good discussion, and forcing us to use "out-of-the-box" thinking. Excellent leader's guide in the back of each study book provided variety of ways to further examine familiar parables in order to relate this re-examination to our daily lives and faith journey.