The Vulnerability of the Literalist: A Critique of William R. Herzog Il's Interpretation of the Parable of the Talents

Abstract

This article first describes and then critiques William R. Herzog Il's interpretation of the parable of the Talents. Herzog, by means of a comparison between Jesus' use of parables and Paulo Freire's codifications, and utilising much from the social-sciences, analyses the parable in the context of a first century urban elite's household. The hero of the parable, according to Herzog, is the third servant who refuses to exploit the peasants for the benefit of his master and himself. However, Herzog's rejection of the use of allegory and the Gospel contexts in which the parable is found, and the weakness of the comparison with Paolo Freire, ultimately leads to the rejection of this interpretation. Yet much of the social-scientific material that he presents can still inform a contemporary understanding of the parable.