Bernard Brandon Scott

One of the few books that left me feeling like I want to go find the author, sit down with him, and chat for an hour or ten. Clear and easy to read, but insightful and highly enlightening considerations of some of Jesus' parables, including historical background that the majority of modern readers lack. The closing sections on the significance of the parables for those who have faith in Christianity are touching and equally insightful. Scott also includes information on Q, the two-source theory for Matthew and Luke, and other concepts in Biblical studies with which the average reader may be unfamiliar; these, and his extensive quotation of other Biblical/Scriptural/apocrypical texts to which he refers, makes the reading experience even better. I highly recommend this book to the faithful Christian who is not afraid to re-examine his or her own faith in the interest of strengthening it as much as I recommend it to the curious non-Christian who, regardless of the degree of his or her past experience with the parables, is interested in learning more about them.… (mer)