Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Soul Invictus · 01-04-2006, 10:40 PM

In the NT, Jesus is said to use these a lot as stories to teach lessons.

Are you aware of people actually advancing that these stories are actual fact? It's my understanding that parables are fictitious stories. I wonder if people often assume the stories to be true because they are spoken of so frequently at church and/or amongst family and friends.

RUmike · 01-05-2006, 05:21 AM

Some believe that the parable of the prodigal son is a story about Jesus himself. Read this article from my NT professor, a subscriber to this idea:

Quote:

My thesis --- that Jesus is best profiled in one of the more disreputable figments of his own imagination --- might be heresy in the eyes of both theological and literary dogmatists. But, for now, it is the most promising vaccine against the infectious human tendency to idolize Jesus or reinvent him in our own image. The crucial historical question is whether Jesus found the model for the anti-hero of his longest narrative parable in observation of someone else or in personal experience of Abba’s treatment of himself.

http://virtualreligion.net/forum/prodigal.html

mikem · 01-09-2006, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soul Invictus

In the NT, Jesus is said to use these a lot as stories to teach lessons.

Are you aware of people actually advancing that these stories are actual fact? It's my understanding that parables are fictitious stories. I wonder if people often assume the stories to be true because they are spoken of so frequently at church and/or amongst family and friends.

The gospels tell us that Jesus favoured teaching method was the parable. A vivid story sticks in the mind, and can disturb. As Jesus told them, they were colourful and reflected the working and living consitions of the people he spoke to. I'v never met anyone who thought they were meant to be literally true.

01-04-2006, 10:40 PM	#1
Soul Invictus Contributor Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 15,576	Biblical Parables In the NT, Jesus is said to use these a lot as stories to teach lessons. Are you aware of people actually advancing that these stories are actual fact? It's my understanding that parables are fictitious stories. I wonder if people often assume the stories to be true because they are spoken of so frequently at church and/or amongst family and friends.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.