Parables of Jesus

The use of parables is one of the most distinctive features of Jesus’ teaching ministry. This program will explore the artistry of Jesus’ parables in the context of the biblical lands, and will offer you an opportunity to consider their meaning for his day and ours. During your stay you will be a guest of ‘living stones’, the local Palestinian Christian community, with whom you will draw nearer to Christ in the breaking of the bread. Aims of the Course You should expect your faith to be transformed and renewed as you make your pilgrim journey through the Holy Land. We will learn together, pray together, and worship together as we go. During the course our academic staff and chaplain will enable you:
  1. To study Jesus’ parables and to pray and reflect on them together;
  2. To visit the historical sites in which Jesus taught;
  3. To become familiar with the landscapes, objects, flora and fauna, and settings that form the content of Jesus’ parables;
  4. To understand the social, cultural, and historical contexts that Jesus’ parables reflect;
  5. To return home renewed in faith.
Content of the Course: While the details of every program vary depending on local circumstances and date, we would typically visit the following places during the course:
  • Jesus’ childhood home in Nazareth, which provided him with the pastoral and agricultural imagery that formed the basis of many of his parables.
  • The Judean wilderness, which forms the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan.
  • Sites around the Sea of Galilee, including Jesus “own town” (Matt. 9.1) of Capernaum, in which Jesus’ taught.
  • Key sites around Jerusalem associated with Jesus’ ministry, including:
    • The Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14.32–49).
    • The remains of the Jerusalem Temple complex from Jesus’ day (i.e. the Wailing Wall).
    • The Way of the Cross, the site of the crucifixion and Jesus’ tomb.
  • You will also have a chance to worship with the local Anglican community.
Please refer to our course registration section for a list of the dates for this course. If you would like to discuss this course further do please contact us.

Dates and Fees