Parable
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| + | ''[[Imperial Messages]]'' (1976) is an anthology of one hundred modern [[parable]]s edited by [[Howard Schwartz]]. Many are fantastic including fiction by [[Jorge Luis Borges]], [[Franz Kafka]], [[Heinrich von Kleist]], [[George MacDonald ]], [[Par Lagerkvist]], ... [[italo Calvino]], [[Julio Cortázar]], [[Christoph Meckel]], [[Kōbō Abe]], [[Nikolai Gogol]], [[Roland Topor]], [[Mark Helprin]], [[Bertolt Brecht]] and even [[Bob Dylan]]. Its title story is Kafka's "[[An Imperial Message]]". | ||
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| + | [[Image:La_fable_des_trois_souhaits_by_Wiertz.jpg|thumb|200px|right|''[[La Fable des trois souhaits — Insatiabilité humaine]]'' by [[Antoine Wiertz]], see ''[[The Ridiculous Wishes ]]'']] | ||
| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| A '''parable''' is a succinct, [[Didacticism|didactic]] story, in [[prose]] or [[Verse (poetry)|verse]], which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a [[fable]] in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of [[analogy]]. | A '''parable''' is a succinct, [[Didacticism|didactic]] story, in [[prose]] or [[Verse (poetry)|verse]], which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a [[fable]] in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of [[analogy]]. | ||
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| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
| - | The word ''parable'' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] παραβολή (''parabolē''), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy."<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dparabolh%2F παραβολή], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus</ref> It was the name given by Greek [[rhetorician]]s to an illustration in the form of a brief fictional [[narrative]]. | + | The word ''parable'' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[παραβολή]] (''[[parabolē]]''), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy." It was the name given by Greek [[rhetorician]]s to an illustration in the form of a brief fictional [[narrative]]. |
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| Parables are favored in the expression of [[Spirituality|spiritual]] concepts. The best known source of parables in [[Christianity]] is the [[Bible]], which contains numerous parables in the [[gospel]]s section of the [[New Testament]] ([[Parables of Jesus|Jesus' parables]]). | Parables are favored in the expression of [[Spirituality|spiritual]] concepts. The best known source of parables in [[Christianity]] is the [[Bible]], which contains numerous parables in the [[gospel]]s section of the [[New Testament]] ([[Parables of Jesus|Jesus' parables]]). | ||
| - | The [[New Testament]] parables are believed by some scholars (such as [[John P. Meier]]) to have been inspired by [[mashal]]im, a form of Hebrew comparison.<ref name="A Marginal Jew"/> Examples of Jesus' parables include the [[Good Samaritan]] and the [[Prodigal Son]]. Mashalim from the [[Old Testament]] include the parable of the ewe-lamb (told by [[Nathan (Prophet)|Nathan]] in {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|12:1–9|}}) and the parable of the woman of Tekoah (in {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|14:1–13|}}). | + | The [[New Testament]] parables are believed by some scholars (such as [[John P. Meier]]) to have been inspired by [[mashal]]im, a form of Hebrew comparison. Examples of Jesus' parables include the [[Good Samaritan]] and the [[Prodigal Son]]. Mashalim from the [[Old Testament]] include the parable of the ewe-lamb (told by [[Nathan (Prophet)|Nathan]] and the parable of the woman of Tekoah. |
| Parables also appear in [[Islam]]. In [[Sufi]] tradition, parables are used for imparting lessons and values. Recent authors such as [[Idries Shah]] and [[Anthony de Mello]] have helped popularize these stories beyond Sufi circles. | Parables also appear in [[Islam]]. In [[Sufi]] tradition, parables are used for imparting lessons and values. Recent authors such as [[Idries Shah]] and [[Anthony de Mello]] have helped popularize these stories beyond Sufi circles. | ||
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| ==Characteristics== | ==Characteristics== | ||
| - | [[File:Jan Wijnants - Parable of the Good Samaritan.jpg|thumb|left|[[Parable of the Good Samaritan]], by [[Jan Wijnants]] (1670).]] | + | A parable is a short tale that illustrates a universal [[truth]]; it is a simple [[narrative]]. It sketches a setting, describes an [[Action (philosophy)|action]], and shows the [[result]]s. It may sometimes be distinguished from similar narrative types, such as the [[allegory]] and the [[apologue]]. "''Apologue''" is another word for [[fable]]. |
| - | A parable is a short tale that illustrates a universal [[truth]]; it is a simple [[narrative]]. It sketches a setting, describes an [[Action (philosophy)|action]], and shows the [[result]]s. It may sometimes be distinguished from similar narrative types, such as the [[allegory]] and the [[apologue]].<ref name="fowler558">{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Modern English Usage |last=Fowler |first=H.W.|year=1965 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London|page=558}} See entry at '''simile and metaphor'''.</ref> "''Apologue''" is another word for [[fable]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Modern English Usage |last=Fowler |first=H.W.|year=1965 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London|page=559}} See entry at '''simile and metaphor'''.</ref> | + | A parable often involves a character who faces a [[moral]] [[dilemma]] or one who makes a bad [[Decision making|decision]] and then suffers the [[unintended consequences]]. Although the meaning of a parable is often not explicitly stated, it is not intended to be hidden or secret but, on the contrary, quite straightforward and obvious. |
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| - | A parable often involves a character who faces a [[moral]] [[dilemma]] or one who makes a bad [[Decision making|decision]] and then suffers the [[unintended consequences]]. Although the meaning of a parable is often not explicitly stated, it is not intended to be hidden or secret but, on the contrary, quite straightforward and obvious.<ref>[[George Fyler Townsend]], in his translator's preface to ''[[Aesop's Fables]]'' (Belford, Clarke & Co., 1887), defined the parable as being "purposely intended to convey a hidden and secret meaning other than that contained in the words themselves, and which may or may not bear a special reference to the hearer or reader." However, Townsend may have been influenced by the 19th century expression, "to speak in parables", connoting obscurity.</ref> | + | |
| The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a [[subtext]] suggesting how a person should behave or what he should believe. Aside from providing guidance and suggestions for proper conduct in one's life, parables frequently use [[metaphor]]ical language which allows people to more easily discuss difficult or complex ideas. Parables express an [[Abstract and concrete|abstract argument]] by means of using a [[Abstract and concrete|concrete narrative]] which is easily understood. | The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a [[subtext]] suggesting how a person should behave or what he should believe. Aside from providing guidance and suggestions for proper conduct in one's life, parables frequently use [[metaphor]]ical language which allows people to more easily discuss difficult or complex ideas. Parables express an [[Abstract and concrete|abstract argument]] by means of using a [[Abstract and concrete|concrete narrative]] which is easily understood. | ||
| - | The allegory is a more general narrative type; it also employs [[metaphor]]. Like the parable, the allegory makes a single, unambiguous point. An allegory may have multiple noncontradictory interpretations and may also have implications that are ambiguous or hard to interpret. As [[H.W. Fowler]] put it, the object of both parable and allegory "is to enlighten the hearer by submitting to him a case in which he has apparently no direct concern, and upon which therefore a disinterested judgment may be elicited from him, ..."<ref name="fowler558"/> The parable is more condensed than the allegory: it rests upon a single [[principle]] and a single [[moral]], and it is intended that the reader or listener shall conclude that the moral applies equally well to his own concerns. | + | The allegory is a more general narrative type; it also employs [[metaphor]]. Like the parable, the allegory makes a single, unambiguous point. An allegory may have multiple noncontradictory interpretations and may also have implications that are ambiguous or hard to interpret. As [[H.W. Fowler]] put it, the object of both parable and allegory "is to enlighten the hearer by submitting to him a case in which he has apparently no direct concern, and upon which therefore a disinterested judgment may be elicited from him, ..." The parable is more condensed than the allegory: it rests upon a single [[principle]] and a single [[moral]], and it is intended that the reader or listener shall conclude that the moral applies equally well to his own concerns. |
| ===Jesus' parables=== | ===Jesus' parables=== | ||
| - | {{Wikipedia books|Parables of Jesus}} | + | |
| - | [[Middle Ages| Medieval]] interpreters of the Bible often treated [[Jesus]]' parables as allegories, with symbolic [[correspondence (theology)|correspondence]]s found for every element in his parables. But modern [[scholar]]s, beginning with [[Adolf Jülicher]], regard their interpretations as incorrect.<ref name="Die Gleichnisreden Jesu">Adolf Jülicher, ''Die Gleichnisreden Jesu'' (2 vols; Tübingen: Mohr [Siebeck], 1888, 1899).</ref> Jülicher held that Jesus' parables are intended to make a single important point, and most recent scholarship agrees.<ref name="A Marginal Jew"/> | + | [[Middle Ages| Medieval]] interpreters of the Bible often treated [[Jesus]]' parables as allegories, with symbolic [[correspondence (theology)|correspondence]]s found for every element in his parables. But modern [[scholar]]s, beginning with [[Adolf Jülicher]], regard their interpretations as incorrect. Jülicher held that Jesus' parables are intended to make a single important point, and most recent scholarship agrees. |
| [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]] suggested that Jesus kept some of his teachings secret within the circle of his disciples and that he deliberately obscured their meaning by using parables. For example, in [[Gospel of Mark|Mark 4:11–12]]: | [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]] suggested that Jesus kept some of his teachings secret within the circle of his disciples and that he deliberately obscured their meaning by using parables. For example, in [[Gospel of Mark|Mark 4:11–12]]: | ||
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| ==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
| - | [[File:Ignacy Krasicki 111.PNG|thumb|[[Ignacy Krasicki]], author of "[[Fables and Parables#Abuzei and Tair|Abuzei and Tair]]."]] | + | |
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| Examples of parables include: | Examples of parables include: | ||
| * The [[parables of Jesus]] | * The [[parables of Jesus]] | ||
| * The parables of [[Ignacy Krasicki]]: | * The parables of [[Ignacy Krasicki]]: | ||
| **[[Fables and Parables#Abuzei and Tair|Abuzei and Tair]] | **[[Fables and Parables#Abuzei and Tair|Abuzei and Tair]] | ||
| - | ** [[Wikisource:Fables and Parables#The Drunkard|The Drunkard]] | ||
| ** [[Fables and Parables#The Farmer|The Farmer]] | ** [[Fables and Parables#The Farmer|The Farmer]] | ||
| - | ** [[Wikisource:Fables and Parables#Litigants|Litigants]] | ||
| - | ** [[Wikisource:Fables and Parables#Son and Father|Son and Father]] | ||
| * [[The Rooster Prince]], a Hasidic parable | * [[The Rooster Prince]], a Hasidic parable | ||
| - | * A Tale of a Fairy Tale<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shonmehta.com/2013/05/a-tale-of-fairy-tale.html |title=A Tale of a Fairy Tale |publisher=shonmehta |date= |accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> | + | * A Tale of a Fairy Tale |
| - | {{Clear left}} | + | |
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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Imperial Messages (1976) is an anthology of one hundred modern parables edited by Howard Schwartz. Many are fantastic including fiction by Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka, Heinrich von Kleist, George MacDonald , Par Lagerkvist, ... italo Calvino, Julio Cortázar, Christoph Meckel, Kōbō Abe, Nikolai Gogol, Roland Topor, Mark Helprin, Bertolt Brecht and even Bob Dylan. Its title story is Kafka's "An Imperial Message". |
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A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of analogy.
Some scholars of the canonical gospels and the New Testament apply the term "parable" only to the parables of Jesus, though that is not a common restriction of the term. Parables such as "The Prodigal Son" are central to Jesus' teaching method in both the canonical narratives and the apocrypha.
Contents |
Etymology
The word parable comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy." It was the name given by Greek rhetoricians to an illustration in the form of a brief fictional narrative.
History
Parables are favored in the expression of spiritual concepts. The best known source of parables in Christianity is the Bible, which contains numerous parables in the gospels section of the New Testament (Jesus' parables).
The New Testament parables are believed by some scholars (such as John P. Meier) to have been inspired by mashalim, a form of Hebrew comparison. Examples of Jesus' parables include the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Mashalim from the Old Testament include the parable of the ewe-lamb (told by Nathan and the parable of the woman of Tekoah.
Parables also appear in Islam. In Sufi tradition, parables are used for imparting lessons and values. Recent authors such as Idries Shah and Anthony de Mello have helped popularize these stories beyond Sufi circles.
Modern parables also exist. A mid-19th-century example, the Parable of the Broken Window, exposes a fallacy in economic thinking.
Characteristics
A parable is a short tale that illustrates a universal truth; it is a simple narrative. It sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It may sometimes be distinguished from similar narrative types, such as the allegory and the apologue. "Apologue" is another word for fable.
A parable often involves a character who faces a moral dilemma or one who makes a bad decision and then suffers the unintended consequences. Although the meaning of a parable is often not explicitly stated, it is not intended to be hidden or secret but, on the contrary, quite straightforward and obvious.
The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a subtext suggesting how a person should behave or what he should believe. Aside from providing guidance and suggestions for proper conduct in one's life, parables frequently use metaphorical language which allows people to more easily discuss difficult or complex ideas. Parables express an abstract argument by means of using a concrete narrative which is easily understood.
The allegory is a more general narrative type; it also employs metaphor. Like the parable, the allegory makes a single, unambiguous point. An allegory may have multiple noncontradictory interpretations and may also have implications that are ambiguous or hard to interpret. As H.W. Fowler put it, the object of both parable and allegory "is to enlighten the hearer by submitting to him a case in which he has apparently no direct concern, and upon which therefore a disinterested judgment may be elicited from him, ..." The parable is more condensed than the allegory: it rests upon a single principle and a single moral, and it is intended that the reader or listener shall conclude that the moral applies equally well to his own concerns.
Jesus' parables
Medieval interpreters of the Bible often treated Jesus' parables as allegories, with symbolic correspondences found for every element in his parables. But modern scholars, beginning with Adolf Jülicher, regard their interpretations as incorrect. Jülicher held that Jesus' parables are intended to make a single important point, and most recent scholarship agrees.
Gnostics suggested that Jesus kept some of his teachings secret within the circle of his disciples and that he deliberately obscured their meaning by using parables. For example, in Mark 4:11–12:
And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’” (NRSV) {{#if:|– {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}}}
}}
Other figures of speech
The parable is related to figures of speech such as the metaphor and the simile, but it should not be identified with them.
A parable is like a metaphor in that it uses concrete, perceptible phenomena to illustrate abstract ideas. It may be said that a parable is a metaphor that has been extended to form a brief, coherent narrative.
A parable also resembles a simile, i.e., a metaphorical construction in which something is said to be "like" something else (e.g., "The just man is like a tree planted by streams of water"). However, unlike the meaning of a simile, a parable's meaning is implicit (although not secret).
Examples
Examples of parables include:
- The parables of Jesus
- The parables of Ignacy Krasicki:
- The Rooster Prince, a Hasidic parable
- A Tale of a Fairy Tale
See also
