Parables As Subversive Speech

by Herzog, William R.

• ISBN13: 9780664253554
• ISBN10: 0664253555
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-06-01
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

William Herzog shows that the focus of the parables was not on a vision of the glory of the reign of God but on the gory details of the way oppression served the interests of the ruling class. The parables were a form of social analysis, as well as a form of theological reflection. Herzog scrutinizes their canonical form to show the distinction between its purpose for Jesus and for evangelists. To do this, he uses the tools of historical criticism, including form criticism and redaction criticism.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction	p. 1
The Parables of Jesus, the Reign of God, and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed	p. 9
The Peril of Not Modernizing Jesus	p. 30
Interpretive Strategies for Reading the Parables	p. 40
The World of Agrarian Societies and Traditional Aristocratic Empires	p. 53
Blaming the Victims of Oppression: The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16)	p. 79
Peasant Revolt and the Spiral of Violence: The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-12)	p. 98
The Unbridgeable Chasm: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)	p. 114
What If the Messiah Came and Nothing Changed? The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:23-35)	p. 131
The Vulnerability of the Whistle-blower: The Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27)	p. 150
The Deviant and Prominent Toll Collectors: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Toll Collector (Luke 18:9-14)	p. 173
The Moral Economy of the Peasant: The Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-8)	p. 194
Justice at the Gate? The Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8)	p. 215
A Weapon of the Weak: The Parable of the Dishonest Steward (Luke 16:1-9)	p. 233
Concluding Remarks	p. 259
List of Abbreviations	p. 267
Notes	p. 269
Selected Bibliography	p. 273
Index of Modern Authors	p. 291
Index of Ancient Texts	p. 295
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