Justice and the Parables of Jesus

Yung Suk Kim, MDiv, PhD, is Full Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Virginia Union University. He has authored nearly twenty books, including How to Read the Gospels (2024), Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations (2022), How to Read Paul (2021), Toward Decentering the New Testament (2018, co-authored with Mitzi J. Smith), and Christ’s Body in Corinth (2008). He has also edited four volumes, including At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics and Paul's Gospel, Empire, Race, and Ethnicity.

In Justice and the Parables of Jesus, Yung Suk Kim offers a bold and refreshing reorientation of how we read the teachings of Jesus. By examining the parables within the political realities of first-century Palestine and through ten dimensions of justice—his work challenges readers not merely to decode Jesus’s stories, but to discern their ethical implications for our own fractured world. This book is a vital contribution to contemporary biblical scholarship and to the ongoing dialogue between theology and social ethics. For pastors, students, and scholars who believe that faith must wrestle with the demands of justice, Justice and the Parables of Jesus is essential reading—insightful, provocative, and deeply relevant for our times.

• Acknowledgments1. IntroductionWhat Is a Parable?Political Context of the Parables of JesusDivine Justice, Parables, and the Rule/Reign of GodPolitical Reading of Jesus and the ParablesFormat and Use of the Book 2. Justice and ParablesTheories of Political PhilosophyJustice and Parables3. Distributive Justice and ParablesVineyard Laborers Rich Man and LazarusQuestions for Discussion4. Attributive Justice and ParablesTalentsTreasure and PearlQuestions for Discussion5. Procedural Justice and ParablesSeed Growing SecretlyWheat and WeedsQuestions for Discussion6. Social Justice and ParablesPharisee and Tax CollectorLeavenQuestions for Discussion7. Racial Justice and ParablesGood SamaritanMustard SeedQuestions for Discussion8. Restorative Justice and ParablesFather and Two SonsUnmerciful SlaveQuestions for Discussion9. Compensatory Justice and ParablesUnjust StewardQuestions for Discussion10. Retributive Justice and ParablesUnjust Judge and WidowTenantsQuestions for Discussion11. Global Justice and ParablesRich FoolLost SheepQuestions for Discussion12. Environmental Justice and ParablesSowerQuestions for Discussion13. ConclusionBibliographyAbout the Author