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Reviewed by Kenneth H. Carter, Jr., Senior Pastor, Providence United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible: Volume Eleven, The Parables of Jesus, edited by Dennis E. Smith and Michael E. Williams “Jesus was a master storyteller,” Dennis Smith reminds us in the opening sentence of the latest volume in the Storyteller’s Companion series, “and his chosen form of story was the parable.” For those who are called upon to tell stories, as preachers or teachers, in settings formal or casual, this work is both helpful and necessary. The editors have compiled a number of resources, including reflection on parables and guidance in the art of storytelling, as preparation for the actual commentary itself. The authors clearly want us to become better acquainted with the stories within the gospels, but there is an additional focus: they also want to equip readers in becoming more effective communicators of the truths found in these narratives. Twenty-five parables have been chosen from the synoptic gospels, among them well-known teachings about the Great Judgment (Matthew 25), the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). Each chapter includes the biblical text; initial commentary on the scripture, which is often helpful in establishing boundaries for interpretation; and a retelling of the story, often with the use of different idioms. There is also material from ancient sources (most often rabbinic literature) that provides a fresh angle on gospel texts, which can seem at times almost too familiar to the preacher or teacher! The Storyteller’s Companion is unique in its approach to the scripture, and the task of teaching and preaching. This work is certainly distinct from commentaries on each of the gospels, or biblical works on the parables themselves (such as The Parables of Jesus by Joachim Jeremias). These more exhaustive works provide a closer reading of the texts, and are suitable for more in-depth study. The Storyteller’s Companion, however, is a very useful resource for teachers who do not have sufficient background to benefit from more technical commentaries, or for preachers who have consulted these works and yet yearn for a reading of the text that is more directly related to the task of proclamation. One of the challenges in teaching or preaching from the parables is that many persons no longer encounter the surprise, irony, or reversal that was embedded in Jesus’ voicing of them. For this very reason, the parables can lose much of their force as they are shared in a Sunday school classroom or worship experience. In the retelling of the stories---for example, Michael Williams’ reflection on how we identify ourselves as sheep or goats, or Bruce Ackerman’s retelling of a story about a rebellious teenage daughter who runs away from home---the editors not only provide resources that might be incorporated into sermons or lectures, but they also prod the reader to imagine his or her own shaping of the material. I commend this volume to those who attempt to tell the stories of Jesus. That he spoke most often in parables is a given, and yet we are mistaken if we assume this form is either simple or self-evident. Those who draw near to hear us speak---for whatever reason---will be enriched by the wisdom in the Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible (Volume 11) Parables of Jesus.
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