More than two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth taught his disciples using simple stories that carried profound truths. These messages, striking and often puzzling to their first-century audience, continue to stir readers of the Bible today. This volume gathers scholarly essays presented at the 2027 BYU Religious Education Symposium in Honor of Sidney B. Sperry. Treating the theme “The Stories of Jesus,” contributors examine Jesus’s New Testament parables from historical, literary, theological, and pastoral perspectives. Topics include the Old Testament context of parables, their use in modern prophetic teachings, the roles of women in Jesus’s stories, connections to the Abrahamic covenant, and focused analyses of the parables of the rich man and Lazarus, the fig tree, the unjust steward, the wheat and tares, the unmerciful servant, and more.

Moving beyond simplified or moralistic interpretations, these studies highlight how Jesus’s stories challenge readers, invite transformation, and prepare believers for covenant life. By situating the parables in their ancient and modern contexts, the volume demonstrates their enduring capacity to deepen faith and spiritual understanding.

ISBN 978-1-9503-0485-1

Expected December 7, 2026