Speaking in Parables

The term speaking in parables refers to narrative theology. It uses the relationship between storytelling, literature and theology to understand our lives and our reality. Likewise, Sallie McFague explains how metaphors are used within narrative theology to enable the process of grasping our lives and our own identity.

Narrative theology as explained by Graham, Walton and Ward recognises that it is almost impossible to speak the truth. Instead we end up telling stories to form our identities and to find out who we are. It is based on the idea that we tell our own stories to become more truthful. For example, the narrative shows how the truth about God is not philosophical but is the stories conveyed about God within the Bible and other Christian doctrines.

A key part of the language employed within Narrative theology (storytelling) is the metaphor. They are not to be taken literally but they convey meanings we need to understand. McFague, explains how ‘metaphorical theology is indigenous to Christianity.’ This shows how metaphors began within Christianity. She goes on to mention how they are expressed in language by explaining they see one thing as something else, for example ‘this’ is ‘that’. Using metaphors help to explain a lesser known event/ object by using the better known as a way of speaking, they are constantly speaking about the great un-known’s to try and make light of them.

Speaking in Parables is a type of narrative theology; it is both constructive and canonical, meaning that it is useful in giving advice and criticism. It explains how stories are fundamental to understanding our lives and the world in which we live. They allow us to think further about the difficult, the mysterious and the divine in the world.

Jesus’ parables are stories which something of the divine is communicated by speaking about the ordinary. McFague explains how ‘metaphorical theology starts with the parables of Jesus and with Jesus as a parable of God’. This explains how we can relate the divine to the ordinary by using stories to convey this point across, by comparing both stories of the divine and of the ordinary.

The Narrative uses storytelling to make truthful our own lives and our own identities. Moreover, linguistic techniques used such as metaphors aid the process of making clear concepts that are less recognized by explaining further the best recognised subject.