Jesus's enigmatic and compelling parables have fascinated their hearers since he first uttered them. The Parables after Jesus explores the varying interpretations of these parables across two millennia to demonstrate how powerfully they continue to challenge people's hearts, minds, and imaginations. Covering more than fifty imaginative receptions from different eras, perspectives, and media, it encompasses numerous figures, among them Augustine, Macrina the Younger, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, William Shakespeare, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, Flannery O'Connor, and Martin Luther King Jr.

"David Gowler is a master of the reception history of the Bible, and he demonstrates his wisdom and experience in this wonderful book about the reading of the parables of Jesus down the centuries. It shows the richness of the resources that await us and the benefits for biblical interpretation which come from this approach, particularly when they are so sensitively and lucidly applied. I am grateful to him for sharing his discoveries with us, his fortunate readers, on this stage of his intellectual journey."
--Christopher Rowland, University of Oxford

"This delightful book romps rapidly through the history of interpretation of the parables. David Gowler introduces us not merely to the familiar greats and how they interpreted the parables, but also to lesser-known interpreters: women, artists, and musicians all feature in this text. Blues musicians and catacomb paintings, abolitionists and the politically powerful: here they are all given their chance to speak. Gowler reveals a history made up of contextualized people interpreting Jesus's quintessential teachings for their times. For those who read Scripture knowing that we read it in community with those who have studied it before us, and for those who love the parables for their unexpected inversions and slantwise telling of the truth, this book is a gift."
--Mariam Kovalishyn, Regent College

"A volume bursting with potential! I have come to appreciate any publication by David B. Gowler--and this is his best book so far. A fascinating survey that sheds new light on the meaning of well-worn texts. Any teacher, student, or reader of the parables will find pearls and treasures in these pages--talents to be invested, seeds sure to bear fruit."
--Mark Allan Powell, Trinity Lutheran Seminary; author of Introducing the New Testament