"Charles McCollough's month long stay with us as Artist in Residence at First Congregational UCC Church in Boulder was a transformative experience for our congregation. He engaged us with teaching on the wisdom sayings of Jesus, taught a hands-on clay workshop, preached, and produced a commissioned piece of sculpture, offering interaction and engagement on his process with all who dropped by to see him work. Charles' depth of knowledge about the gospels, his personal transparency and gentle nature, his wisdom and wit, his extraordinary gift of creativity and the excellence of his artistic ability all added up to a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who experienced his presence with us. The power and pathos of the sculpture he did for our congregation, "Knock and the Door Will Be Opened", stands in our narthex as an ever present reminder of the radical hospitality to which God calls us. Charles is a master teacher and artist, and he was an absolute joy to have as our Artist in Residence."

The Rev. Martie McMane, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church, Boulder, CO

"I am grateful for your extraordinary participation at New Brunswick Theological Seminary as our Visiting Artist. We have had several very good Visiting Atists, but your time with us went beyond what anybody else contributed to the life of the seminary. I miss your sculptures in the arts display area; I anticipate the hanging of your three sculptures on the wall in the seminary's entrance and gathering area; and I look forward to the installation of the "Underwood Bust" in a prominent location and display in the library. Your contributions to the arts at New Brunswick Theological Seminary will continue throughout the seminary's future. Thanks for your special presence and sharing"

The Rev. Gordon R. Dragt, Emeritus Collegiate Minister, Middle Collegiate Church, NYC

"Charles McCollough's art captures the drama, humour, and irony of Jesus' parables in a way that no prose interpretation can. Jesus used parables to trouble the waters of the known world and assail its easy assumptions. In McCollough's art, ancient waters tremble once again."

Prof. Stephen J. Patterson, Author of Beyond the Passion: Rethinking the Death and Life of Jesus, and Professor of New Testament, formerly of Eden Seminary, St. Louis, MO

"Charles McCollough's sculptures give us a new and arresting way of seeing Jesus' parables. In addition, his text provides us with the historic setting, and multiple interpretations from the past centuries, a thought-provoking feast for the eyes and the mind."

Jane Daggett Dillenberger, Profess of Art History and Theology, The Graduate Theological Union Berkeley, California, Author of Style and Content in Christian Art: The Religious Art of Andy Warhol.

"Charles McCollough literally gives us a new perspective on Jesus' parables. McCollough's images are poignant, surprising, and oh-so-human. The accompanying text and questions help us experience these familiar teachings in fresh new ways - a living word for our day."

"This beautiful intersection of words and images will engage the reader's imagination for the sake of both insight and transformation. What McCollough has produced is a parable in itself. Defying simple interpretations or pat explanations, it speaks to the spirit and the heart as much as to the intellect."

Robin Margaret Jensen, Luce Chancellor's Professor of the History of Christian Worship and Art, Vanderbilt University, Author of Face to Face: The Portrait of the Divine in Early Christianity.

"Like the parable themselves, Charles McCollough's art reminds us that faith is an act of imagination, luring us away from the empires of this world toward the realm of God, where beauty dominates power, and grace vanquishes pride."

John H. Thomas, Former General Minister and President Emeritus, United Church of Christ.

"McCollough's sculptures open up familiar parables in fresh and memorable ways. The art collaborates with social and economic analysis to allow the words of the text to put on flesh. The accompanying CD and the questions for discussion make this a valuable resource for students, scholars, and church leaders alike."

Sharon H. Ringe, Professor of New Testament, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC