The Parables of Joshua [Hardcover]

Joseph F. Girzone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2001

In the latest chapter of his bestselling Joshua series, Joseph Girzone offers fresh inspiration in this collection of fifty never-before-published contemporary vignettes that underscore the most important lessons of the gospel.

Joseph Girzone's novels about Joshua, the carpenter who transforms ordinary lives with words of peace and loving actions, have sold more than three million copies and captured the hearts of readers around the world. In The Parables of Joshua, perhaps his most powerful book since the original Joshua, Girzone distills the essence of Christian teaching in entertaining and inspiring "bite-sized" tales set against the background of current society.

For some today, the parables of the New Testament are quaint, old-fashioned stories, with little relevance to everyday life in the twenty-first century. As Girzone writes in his Introduction, "I have heard the most callous people comment with such great piety on the parables that I could not help but wonder if we haven't made parables pleasant-sounding fables about human situations long past, but with no present-day meaning." In order to recapture their original vitality Girzone revives the timeless messages behind the original parables by "dressing them in modern clothes," presenting them through Joshua in a conversational style that will resonate with a modern audience.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Girzone's beloved and bestselling Joshua series continues with Joshua retelling Jesus' parables with a modern twist. Believing that the "zing" that Jesus' parables had in the first century has been lost in the 21st, Girzone, a retired priest, has the Christ figure of Joshua presenting New Testament parables in an up-to-date cultural interpretation. Among other things, Girzone takes on homosexuality, corrupt clergy, materialism, women's roles in the Church, capital punishment, feelings of inadequacy and the censorship of theologians. A few of the parables are indeed "zingy," especially those addressing age-old problems such as racism or more contemporary issues, including movie violence and Christianity's uniqueness among other religions. One of the gems worth digging for is the "Parable of the Self-Righteous Man," in which Girzone tackles our culture's predilection for do-it-yourself religion and insists, "You cannot become truly holy all by yourself. Holiness is love. It is knowing and loving God and his creatures." Other parables fall flat. For example, in the "Parable of the Ark," the Church is rather blandly compared to Noah's Ark--it is often unpleasant, but still the only way out of the storm. Fans of Girzone will be delighted with another Joshua read, although it's not quite up to par. Those who are unfamiliar with the series would be better off reading an earlier installment.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Girzone's simple tales of Joshua, or Jesus in a modern-day setting, have a certain spare charm, though to many readers they are too simplistic to be effective. In any case, Joshua is back, this time not in a story but in a reinvention of Jesus' New Testament parables. "The Parable of the Beautiful Garden" tells us that pollution is bad, while "The Parable of the Precious Seed" shows the folly of abortion. "The Parable of the Criminal and the Righteous Politician" is an appeal to ban executions. Many of Girzone's parables treat hypocrisy: "The Parable of the Unworthy Shepherd" and "The Terrorist and the Unwed Mother." Some of Girzone's parables make allusion to the originals, which Girzone feels are seen by contemporary readers as archaic and no longer relevant. But is this really so? Don't even the irreligious feel that the stories of the prodigal son or of the rich man are great life-lessons? Perhaps Girzone's feeble imitations, which are sure to draw a wide audience, will send contemporary readers back to the New Testament; they would be better served if they did so. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (March 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385495110
• ISBN-13: 978-0385495110
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Biblical Fiction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not timeless, but thought-provoking, July 24, 2001

By 

gaylelbf (Montgomery, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Parables of Joshua (Hardcover)

Inside the book jacket of this book it's stated that "Girzone revives the timeless messages behind the original parables by 'dressing them in modern clothes,' presenting them through Joshua in a conversational style that will resonate with a modern audience." However these parables are not timeless. I expected parables that had the same messages as those in the Bible but with contemporary situations. Mr. Girzone goes beyond that to parables about such contemporary issues as gay marriage, the exploitation of the environment, evolution, violence in the media, and the admission of female and married priests to the Catholic church.

These parables do not seem as faithful to the Bible nor as universal as the stories he has previously written about Joshua. The parables more clearly reflect Mr. Girzone's distinct political and religious views. While I agree with some of these opinions and disagree with others, I really am uncomfortable reading these as the teachings of Joshua who is supposed to be a modern reflection of Jesus.

I am most disturbed by the characterization of the people who will be admitted into heaven. In "The Parable of the Faithful Nonbeliever," a person who has had a good life, but did not have faith in God will, nevertheless, receive a heavenly reward. In "The Parable of the Two Brothers," a man who lived a selfish life that was of little value to God goes to heaven because of his brother's earnest prayers. This theology of going to heaven without faith is not Biblical, contrary to what Jesus taught, and dangerously wrong. We do not go to heaven by our good works or by others' prayers. According to the Bible, Christ died for our sins on the cross. As he rose from the dead to have eternal life, so will those who repent of their sins, accept God's forgiveness, and live faithfully in Christ.

Not all of these parables are so erroneous and controversial. Some are true to the teachings of Jesus. For example, "The Parable of the Coal and the Diamond" illustrates how God can transform suffering. In several parables, people who seem unworthy are valued highly by God.

It is very unfortunate that all the parables in this book were not written in the spirit of Christ.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adapted Text, February 5, 2007

By 

JMack (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Parables of Joshua (Hardcover)

It is difficult to make an adaptation of the Bible because it is such a grand book to modernize. Perhaps this is one of the reason that I really did not like this collection of modern parables. At times, I even wondered if Joshua (Jesus) would really have similar feelings on an issues to those discussed in the book. Despite the flaws, the collection of stories did have some quality entries.

I soured on the book after the first few stories almost seemed cliche. Some of the themes even seem to repeat with slight variations. The rich man/poor man theme was exhausted by the book's end. However, Girzone saved the best for last. The statement about capital punishment speaks loudly of what Christians should know.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the book, September 8, 2010

By 

Honeybee (Clearfield, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Parables of Joshua (Paperback)

Joseph Girzone is a great writer and makes you think. The Parables are short but truly makes a point and makes you think. Great service