| "Tell Me Your Story" Bible Study Explores Zannoni Book |
 |
| Spring/Summer, 2002 |
| "Tell Me Your Story" Bible Study Explores Zannoni Book |
|
| Spring/Summer, 2002 |
During the summer the SJA Bible Study Group often decides to venture out of the "big book" and look at some commentaries and thought-provoking writing related to the writings about and the life of Jesus. We have done so again by exploring Tell Me Your Story: The Parables of Jesus written by local scholar Dr. Art Zannoni. Our next venture will be an exploration of the Gospel of Thomas; considered "the fifth Gospel", which is a very early collection of the "secret" sayings of Jesus. We welcome any and all participants. More details on that study (Tuesdays in July...9, 16, 23 & 30) will be available at the conclusion of this article.
 |
| Dr. Art Zannoni |
Many of us harkened back to our youth as the parables are often the glimpse we get at the youngest of ages when we hear about the message of Jesus. So many of the parables are recalled frequently and fondly. The parables of the Mustard Seed, The Ten Bridesmaids, The Lost Sheep, and The Prodigal Son are oft-repeated yet still yield new insights at subsequent hearings. Rereading the parables (even reading them aloud!), along with Dr. Zannoni's insights and analysis led the group through old ideas, new concepts, better understanding, even occasional disappointment. While Zannoni maintains a positive spin on the stories, there are elements that challenge the low-Christology mindset of these members of St. Joan of Arc Church.
The parables appear in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and especially Luke. Many of them appear in all three of these books, often with curious differences. Although the full list of subjects would be quite long, parables address the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, Discipleship, Love and Forgiveness, Poverty and Riches, as well as Prayer. How are we called to follow Jesus? What is the reward we are offered? And how can we best be disciples of Jesus? There is much room for interpretation, but the parables respond to the questions of the followers and apostles of Jesus. He was using these stories to upset many of the conventions of His day, and forge a new path to eternal peace.
As 21st century followers, we are challenged in new ways to the messages contained in the parables. The social mores and day-to-day life of first-century Palestine differ greatly from our experience, and we struggle to interpret those messages for our times. At the outset of this study we were asked to ponder what it was about the parables that contributed to Jesus being branded a radical, and a threat to Roman-occupied rule. How did the parables help bring about the final earthly judgement against Jesus?
We wanted to do some study of the bible that was not book-specific, but rather worked on a topic using various passages from the bible. Tell Me Your Story allowed us to look at contrasting views from the various Gospel writers, and also approach the individual topics mentioned above. Members of the group at various times found the parables enriching and enlightening, and at other times limited in usefulness for our day. Personally, while I certainly gained a greater understanding and knowledge of the parables, I was sometimes disappointed at some of the underlying messages, and certainly found that there is something about the parables that is lost in over-analyzing them. I believe I was not alone in those reactions.
Zannoni from the outset says that his book is written accepting "...the premise that the Bible is the inspired revelation of God", but counters that by saying that it "...understands that the Bible is normative for faith, always taking the Bible seriously but not necessarily literally." Some may find in that a contradiction. It seemed that the group agreed most with the latter statement, and found that perhaps the child's view of the parables of Jesus can sometimes be the richest.
 The Gospel of Thomas (GoT) is one of the Nag Hammadi Library documents. The Nag Hammadi Library is a collection of Coptic documents, found in Upper Egypt in 1945, dated late fourth century AD. The Nag Hammadi collection was found in a large jar sealed by a bowl and buried beneath a boulder at the base of cliffs on the right bank of the Nile, some six miles northeast of the town of Nag Hammadi.Thomas is not really a "Gospel" as Christians commonly understand the term, rather it is a seemingly random collection of 114 sayings which are attributed to Jesus. The author of this document is St. Didymus Jude Thomas. Since these sayings are not tied to historical events (via a narrative), we cannot independently check it's external validity. Apart from Jesus, the GoT also attributes some questions/statements to Simon Peter, Matthew, and Thomas, and Mary. Given that the GoT has no narrative, it is difficult to date when this document was originally compiled. The most frequent dating attributed is 100-150 A.D., although some scholars think it dates earlier. |
We have a stimulating, diverse group which is constantly evolving. There is plenty of room for new people, and new ideas. On Tuesday July 9 we set out on a four-week look at the Gospel of Thomas. Beginning with some commentary from some of the brain trust from our parish and a brief historical overview, we will explore a collection of sayings that could have easily been part of the bible as we know it today. We will meet in Hospitality Hall (underneath the church) at 7:00 PM. We would love to see you join us on the journey.
 |
 |
 |
 |