Realism and method : the parables of Jesus

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Authors

Van Eck, Ernest

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New Testament Society of South Africa

Abstract

Papyri from early Roman Egypt that are contemporaneous with first-century Palestine provide ancient comparanda of the economic and social practices and realities presupposed by the sayings and parables of Jesus. As such, these papyri, where applicable, provide a window through which the realism of Jesus’ parables can be assessed. In this paper, a summary is given of some recent work done on the realism of the parables of Jesus using Graeco-Egyptian papyri. A preliminary reading of the parable of the Wise Steward (Luke 16:1–8a) is also given, paying particular attention to the possible reality underlying this parable. This reading indicates that the use of Graeco-Egyptian papyri can enhance a social-scientific reading of the parables.

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Keywords

Jesus, Parables, Method, Realism, Papyri, Egypt, First century

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Van Eck, E 2017, 'Realism and method : the parables of Jesus', Neotestamentica, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 163-184.