PARABLES OF CHRIST by Leopold Fonck, SJ +
$35.95
RCB: 0-912141-05-4
When Leopold Fonck, SJ was personally selected by Pope St. Pius X as president of the Vatican's
Pontifical Biblical Institute, he had just finished this monumental "encyclopedia" of the parables of
the Gospels. The book is definitive - but has long been out of print.
Fr. Ignacio Barreiro, who holds a doctorate in theology from Santa Croce University in Rome, notes
the book's advantages for the layman, not the specialist:
"The most useful thing about this tome is its easy readability. For example, if more than one
evangelist has included the parable in his Gospel, each is presented in parallel columns, for the sake
of comparison. There are a hundred other advantages for students or those trying to deepen their
appreciation of the New Testament. For example:
- It explains the difference between parables that needed to be explained by Christ and those that
do not;
- Each parable is printed in its entirety in Greek, Latin and English;
- It clearly shows the huge difference between parables and other literary forms, e.g., fables,
metaphors, allegories;
- Is there only one point or sometimes several in the parables? That question is answered in every
case;
- It discusses those who hear the parables but don't understand;
- Is there only one point or sometimes several in the parables? That question is answered in every
case;
- Explained: the three kinds of people who reject the Word;
- Causes of unbelief and how the parable is a lesson for all;
- Even obscure information is thoroughly covered: e.g., the indication in one parable as to the size
of the elect;
- The profound meaning of Our Lord's words, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first";
and "Many are called but few are chosen";
- Practical applications of certain parables;
- All about Christ's indications of gradations of glory in Heaven;
- The tremendous significance of the fig tree allusions throughout Scripture;
- Watching for Our Lord's coming: His exhortations applied to your own life;
America says that Fonck's "is the best modern work on the parables that has appeared in any
language, a classic on the subject" pointing out that it suggests numerous topics for meditation (and homilies, for priests),
and contains generous excerpts from the Church Fathers.
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