Spring 2004/Pasadena
NS537
M.M. Thompson
NS537: THE PARABLES OF JESUS. Marianne Meye Thompson.
DESCRIPTION:
- This course provides an introduction to the study of the parables
of Jesus, with an emphasis on understanding them in their historical context
and interpreting them for teaching and preaching. We will also explore such
issues as the role or function of parables in Jesus' proclamation of the
kingdom of God, the history of interpreting the parables, and how parables,
imagery and metaphor work.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- Parables are characteristic of Jesus' public teaching as recorded
in the Synoptic Gospels. Because parables form such a large part of Jesus'
teaching, and because they have been subject to every kind of interpretation
and application, they merit careful study.
COURSE FORMAT:
- The course will meet once a week for three hours for lectures and
discussion based on study in the New Testament and secondary sources. We will
also pay some attention to the interpretation of parables in art, film, and
literature.
REQUIRED READING:
- Hultgren, Arland. The Parables of
Jesus. Eerdmans, 2001.
- Jones, Peter Rhea. Studying the Parables of Jesus. Smith &
Helwys, 1999.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Gowler. David B. What Are They Saying About the Parables?
Paulist Press, 2000.
- Kierkegaard, Soren. The Parables of Kierkegaard. Ed. Thomas C. Oden.
Princeton University Press, 1989.
- Longenecker, Richard, ed. The Challenge of the Parables. Eerdmans,
2000.
- Stern, David. Parables in Midrash: Narrative and Exegesis in
Rabbinic Literature. Harvard University Press, 1991; paperback ed., 1994.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Regular attendance and preparation for class.
- Regular short written assignments; 60% of the grade.
- Final examination. Or students may elect a final paper or project; 40% of
the grade.
PREREQUISITES:
- NS500.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
- Meets M. Div. core requirement in New Testament Theology (NTT).
FINAL EXAMINATION:
- Yes. (See #3 under assignments).