Short Stories by Jesus Participant Guide: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi

by Amy-Jill Levine

Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus' stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.


In this Bible study based on her Short Stories by Jesus , Amy-Jill Levine analyzes these "problems with parables" taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.


This participant guide provides an introduction to the main text as well as further Scripture commentary and reflection questions.

Genres: Religion

96 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2018

About the author

Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Department of Jewish Studies. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus; Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi; four children's books (with Sandy Sasso); The Gospel of Luke (with Ben Witherington III); and The Jewish Annotated New Testament (co-edited with Marc Z. Brettler). Her most recent books are The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently (co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler), Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven; and The Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Devotionals. In 2019 she became the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. Professor Levine, who has done over 300 programs for churches, clergy groups, and seminaries, has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. Institutions granting her honorary degrees include Christian Theological Seminary and the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down.
This book is helpful to do a study series on "Short Stories by Jesus." The full book is more than most lay persons are willing to read. Most of these chapters do a pretty good job summarizing the crux of Levine's interpretations, but some, in my opinion, leave much to be desired, and the full book is almost needed to help understand.
Also it should be noted that this only covets 6 of the 9 chapters in the full book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your Sunday School Parables

Rabbi Amy-Jill makes the reader consider the point of view of Jews, Christians, Muslims after reading these short stories told by Jesus. This is an eye-opening collection that everyone should read and reflect upon the lessons to be learned as they apply today.

[Jaroa Favilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have tons of questions and lots of new perspectives after reading this book. One thing is for sure to me that God wants us to love one another which is difficult to do if we do not understand each other.

[Nathan Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

AJ Levine brings new perspectives to stories I have read and preached for my entire career. As a Jewish scholar of Judaism and the New Testament, her knowledge of Jewish history, theology, and practice enables her to provide context and depth to Jesus’s parables.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Participant guide much easier to use with videos for Sunday School. Book itself is far longer, way more intense and heavier to read.
Guide offers many discussion questions and ideas to encourage group conversation.

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent explanation of the parables in light iof what we know about first century Jews.

[Carol Guth]

AJ completely misses the point of the parables. Therefore, I could not enjoy the book and was led to pray for her salvation.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, I learned a lot, great for small group discussion. there is a short study guide and a longer book.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting Bible study!

[Zach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Progressive scholar injects her own insecurities about her current environment and background into the Gospels and uses it to frame her world view and politics.

There is nothing in the Jesus parables that "makes christianity look good by painting jews as evil."

[Maggie Leisman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A church book club book. Was interesting to learn about and discuss the parables with others!