Kerngleichnis

Kerngleichnis (German for "core parable") is a term used in biblical and theological scholarship to designate one or more parables that are regarded as central to the teaching attributed to Jesus, especially regarding the Kingdom of God. The phrase is a scholarly construct rather than a label that appears in the biblical text itself. It serves to identify parables that allegedly crystallize the core concerns, motifs, and didactic aims that underpin the parable material as a group.

In usage, the concept is used to discuss how parables relate within the synoptic gospels and how they work together to convey Jesus' message. Proponents argue that a Kerngleichnis can crystallize themes such as the Kingdom of God, faith, and judgment, helping readers grasp the core aims of the teaching. Critics insist that parables are diverse and context-bound, making a single kernel reduction simplistic. Some scholars favor analyses of inter-parabolic relations, narrative structure, or redactional aims instead of a fixed central parable.

The term thus functions mainly as a heuristic in literary and historical criticism rather than a dogmatic category. It is discussed primarily in German-language scholarship and appears in debates about the organization and interpretation of the parable material across the Synoptic Gospels.

See also: Parable; Gospel; Synoptic Gospels; Redaction criticism; Kingdom of God.