In this episode, Justin is joined by Dr. David Parris to discuss the complexity of Jesus' identity and the various interpretations of his teachings. Dr. Parris sheds light on his journey into studying parables, as well as his 15-year experience in cognitive linguistics. They also talk about the safe and dangerous nature of parables, their application in everyday life, and their ability to challenge people's thinking.

Guest Information:

Dr. David Parris is a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and has studied parables for over 30 years. He holds a ThM degree from Fuller Seminary and a Ph.D. in philosophical hermeneutics from the University of Nottingham. Dr. Parris has also been studying cognitive linguistics for around 15 years and has applied this field of study to the interpretation of parables. See his Youtube HERE

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Parris explains how he got into studying parables, starting with his seminary thesis on the history of the interpretation of the Great Commission.
• Parables are small stories that challenge and provoke thought.
• Cognitive linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that has been applied to the study of parables since 2005-2006.
• Understanding language and expressing it is the same as any other function of the brain, and cognitive linguistics helps bridge the gap between the language of 2000 years ago and today.
• Parables are both safe and dangerous as they can challenge people to think about how to apply the parables to their own lives.

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