Paul W

I enjoyed this book. It provides an in-depth study of the textual, literary, cultural, and historical aspects of each of the 31 parables it treats to guide thoughtful interpretation. For each parable several relevant questions are posed and subsequently answered in some detail, with a final section on applying the parable. Overall I would say that this detailed study shed light on the meaning of the parables and I found that for the most part I agreed with the interpretation provided by the author. I was personally challenged on several occasions by the message and application of these parables. This book is strong on the in-depth aspects of the parables, providing many parallel texts ("primary source material") from the culture of that time period (rabbinic, Greek, Roman, deuterocanonical, apocryphal). I didn't appreciate the use of endnotes rather than footnotes (to avoid much flipping back and forth), and I think it would have been helpful to have the text(s) of the parables printed at the beginning of each chapter (to avoid two open books at a time). Within the 846 pages, the study of the parables is about 500 pages, the rest being intro, bibliography, and the almost 200 pages of endnotes. I think the length and detailed nature of this book may deter some readers from reaping the rewards of the excellent discussions on interpretation and application. A trimmed down version (sans full notes, bibliography, primary sources, and the addition of the parable texts) would be welcomed to appeal to a more general audience.