Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
Parables & Teaching Stories
Stories have always been the most effective vehicle for transmitting spiritual truth. Jesus's parables, Quranic narratives, Jataka tales, and Hasidic stories all use narrative to make abstract principles vivid, memorable, and applicable to everyday life.
Across the World's Religions
Christianity
- Practice
- Parables of Jesus — the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son
- Key Text
- Luke 15:11-32; Matthew 13:1-52; Mark 4:1-34
Islam
- Practice
- Quranic stories — Yusuf, Musa, Dhul-Qarnayn; mathal (parable)
- Key Text
- Quran 12:1-111, 18:9-82
Judaism
- Practice
- Mashal (parable); Midrash; Hasidic stories
- Key Text
- Judges 9:7-15; 2 Samuel 12:1-7; Ecclesiastes Rabbah
Hinduism
- Practice
- Itihasa (epics), Puranas, Panchatantra — moral stories
- Key Text
- Mahabharata 3; Bhagavata Purana; Hitopadesha
Buddhism
- Practice
- Jataka Tales — 547 stories of the Buddha's past lives
- Key Text
- Jataka 547; MN 86 (Angulimala); Dhammapada Atthakatha