Parables from the Back Side: Bible Stories With a Twist

by J. Ellsworth Kalas

Offers a new understanding of twelve of Jesus' parables by viewing them through the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. Chapter When the Good Samaritan Is Bad News; God Called a Party, but Nobody Came; The Timid Soul; The Seasons of the Soil; The Sad Story of the Embarrassed Farmers; Love Always Wins...Sometimes; Why Doesn't God Like Religious People?; Pardon My Insistence; The Prodigal Who Stayed at Home; A Case for the Un-hired Hand; Moses and the Fig Tree; I Wish I Could Sell You More. 12 Sessions, with a leader's guide.

Genres: Religion, Theology

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 29, 1992

About the author

J. Ellsworth Kalas has been part of the faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary since 1993, after thirty-eight years as a United Methodist pastor and five years in evangelism with the World Methodist Council. He has been a presenter on DISCIPLE videos and is the author of more than thirty books, including the popular Back Side series as well as the Christian Believer study.

Reviews

[Russ Maile · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has some decent insights and a different way of thinking about some of the parables that most are familiar with. I used it to teach a high school bible class. The discussion questions for each chapter located in the back of the book were useful.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This study worked well for our hybrid SS class of about 10, using the study guide questions in the back. E. Kalas is very readable and always insightful, not to heavy.

[Sharon Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was in the lending library at my Catholic church. Although I am well along in years and always been a churchgoer, some of the parables are like a foreign language to me.

Mr. Kalas has written a slim, interesting, eye-opening, and repetitive book, wherein he gives each parable a new name (e.g., "God called a party but nobody came"), presents the parable as in the Bible, rewrites the parable in his own words, then explains it.

My favorite chapters were "How often do churches fail to kill a calf and play the music when a prodigal comes Home?" and "Perhaps some people in our churches don't even know how to rejoice". The one I most needed to read was "Seasons of a soul" about the seeds thrown by the sower.

Must re-read it!

[Alysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the study guide for a Bible Study I am leading with Senior Citizens from Riverside Place. This was a very well written book. There are about 7 pages of material that the participants read each week before coming together, which we thought was a reasonable amount of preparation--not too much. Then there is a leaders guide in the back of the book with good questions to use. The author was a Senior Citizen when he wrote the book, so many of the analogies in this book were familiar to all who were attending the class. This book is part of a series and I would recommend these study books for use with Bible Studies.

[Doris Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author made many interesting backdrops for the 12 parables he featured. The most interesting was his following the prodigal son's brother. I also enjoyed the foolish virgins, where he featured the seller of the oil who tried to convince the foolish virgins to buy more oil. The one I found the hardest to follow was the sower dropping the seed. I had in my mind that sowing the seed was a one time deal, but Kalas pointed out that we, the soil, could change at any time and become the soil with the thorns or even the ideal soil for producing the hundredfold.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read which helped me consider some of the best known parables of Jesus in a new way. Got me to thinking outside the conventional religious box. Refreshing and insightful.

[Shirley Cornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used as a resource in a sermon series. Some interesting ideas.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insights to 12 of the parables, ranging from the Good Samaritan to the 10 virgins and their oil.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Dr. Kalas' view on the parked and how he makes us look at each story through different eyes. This is a great book for a Bible study discussion class.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kalas has an intriguing way of telling familiar stories in a way that causes the reader to hear them with fresh ears.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

We used this book as a study in our Sunday School class. I enjoyed looking at the parables from a different view, although the author does stretch the boundaries a bit in assumptions of what "could have" been going on. My favorite was Chapter 10, "A Case for the Un-hired Hand," based on the parable of the workers in the vineyard...equating the work to the joys of a Christian life. The author says, "Give them part of my reward, because they stood in the marketplace for so long, because no one hired them, while my life was filled with purpose."

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it definitely helped me look at parables in a new way and to understand them better and think about them differently. Lots of "aha" moments. Studied it with my Sunday School class. Makes me want to read other books by this author.

[Michael Picot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!! The author presents a unique "back side" look into some of the most well-known parables of Jesus. Great writing. Great insights. It really made me think about my own life and faith. I highly recommend. I will be looking for other books by this author now.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with Sunday school class - Noland teaching at 1st UMC - ATtitudes of Faith class

[Lauren]

read in bible study group

[Mary Beene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kalas' work is great for lay audiences and I like to use it for retreat work.

[Gabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

very disappointing. I enjoyed the 10 commandments from the backside but Kalas seemed to go to far and try to hard to twist something else or of the parables.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this fresh look at some of Jesus' parables. Thought-provoking.