Tales of the Inner City
Tales of the Inner City
Scott Bryte

Allegory readers in the nineteenth century discovered John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress with its Slough of Despond and characters like Obstinate and Pliable. C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia entranced twentieth-century people. A simple step through the wardrobe introduced us to a lion named Aslan and an umbrella carrying faun along with a myriad of other characters who taught us spiritual lessons while entertaining us with their whimsical mischief. Enter Scott Bryte onto the scene of Christian allegory! With Tales of the Inner City we meet the Freeps, the Puffbats, Zimm, and most importantly --Grandfather, who "sits to tell tales and answer questions and make up the truth." With magnificent detail, both in the artwork and in the delightful stories, Pastor Bryte teaches the reader deep spiritual lessons in an atmosphere of lunatic-like fantasy.

Scott Bryte allegorizes stories from both the Old and New Testaments: the tower of Babel, Jesus' parable of the talents, Jonah and the whale, the garden of Eden, and more. He also gives us stories that do not follow a particular biblical narrative, but symbolize concepts -- such as original sin or confusion. Whether this book is read for sheer enjoyment or studied in a teen's Sunday school class, it is bound to become a ministry tool that will speak to today's youth in a way very few others do. Adults can also learn from the thoughtfully prepared questions found at the end of each chapter. With his somewhat sarcastic humor, Pastor Bryte's writing style will delight readers and students of all age groups.

In his own words, Scott Bryte is "a bagpipe-playing, victrola collecting, woodcarving ventriloquist, who is a Lutheran pastor, and who hopes to be an artist when he grows up. He lives just outside of the Inner City with his gracious and patient wife, Kathleen, remarkable children Meghan and Xaq, and their sadly dimwitted dog, Taffy."