Howard Thurman and the Parables: What Do Parables Want?

Here is the current outline of my next book: What Do Parables Want?: Howard Thurman, the Parables, and the Quest for Common Ground. 

The book argues argue that the parables of the Prodigal Son and Good Samaritan are foundational to Thurman’s life and thought, fundamental to his understanding of the religion of Jesus, and, in our continuing search for common ground, exemplify a path toward community with God and our fellow human beings. 

 

It hopefully integrates several different aspects into a coherent whole, based on Thurman’s example:

• NT scholarship on the historical Jesus, the parables, and Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited.
• Visual art both to illustrate “how parables work” in Chapters 3–4 (which also help explain Jesus and the Disinherited) and, primarily in the forthcoming Study Guides, following Thurman’s example, using the fine arts to raise spiritual awareness and create community.
• Analyses of the parables of the Prodigal Son and Good Samaritan parables and how Thurman’s perspectives on them fit into his life and thought.

 

The ultimate goal is by exploring what these parables want and using the insights of Howard Thurman, to continue the quest for common ground, for community, for, to paraphrase his words, “a friendly world of friendly human beings.”

The consists of 10 chapters (of about 6000 words each) in 5 parts, and I'll start from the back so they appear in order on the blog:

Part V 

Chapter 10: “We’re Connected” 

Introduction 

Main: Creating Community 

Why Should We be Good?: Because It is Good 

Why Should We be Good?: Because We are All One 

Why Should We be Good?: Because It Ultimately is for our own Good

Thurman’s Vision: A Prodigal Son Experience must lead to becoming a Compassionate Samaritan 

“Frighteningly Idealistic” and Unrealistic? 

Afterword: “We all do Better when We All do Better” 

A Religious or Secular Universal Ethic? 

There is no Sane Person in Hell 

A Web of Mutuality 

A Solidarity Dividend 

A Virtuous Spiral: The Relevance of the Prodigal Son and Good Samaritan Parables as a Compassion-in-Action, Justice, and Extending Community 

The Call to Respond Because or in Spite of It All