Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The Storytelling God - A Review


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A Review


Jared C. Wilson’s book caught my eye for two reasons.  The first was my own interest in storytelling - as a took for use in the preparation of sermons and in teaching.  The second was the author’s introduction.  He uses Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” as a stepping stone to the rest of the book.  In the days immediately preceding my picking up this book, I had just finished re-reading the “Sermon on the Mount” for the “umpteenth time.”  


The author makes clear that whether we are reading or telling the stories and teaching of Jesus, we cannot see them a  flat story - but events with life, that must be seen in all the 3-Dimensional wonder in which Jesus lived and spoke them.  


I enjoyed this fresh, lively look at the parables of Jesus.  But at the same time, the author draws from the work of others, both historical and current, while adding his own contemporary twist.  The result is an interesting, though often deep, look at the message, parables, and life of Jesus and others.  The author does not stop with the life of Jesus, he also weaves in the stories of the Old Testament.  Leading to a final look at the Kingdom of God in all its “Unstoppable and Unfathomable” glory.  


At times the academic rigor of the text might make it a stretch for the average layman, but the book would make for an excellent textbook in a course on the parables.  It could also serve well as an ancillary text for a New Testament or Biblical survey course.   
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

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