A Man Had Two Sons: Luke 15:11–32 in Comparison with Fatherhood in Genesis and Greco-Roman Culture

Abstract

This thesis examines characteristics of fatherhood as depicted in the father figure of the parable in Luke 15:11–32 and considers how these characteristics might reflect or challenge the cultural patterns of its contemporary context. These traits are analyzed in comparison with portrayals of fatherhood and masculinity in Genesis, as represented in the narratives of Adam, Abraham, and Isaac, as well as with Greco-Roman ideals of fatherhood and masculinity. The study employs narratological, textual, and historical methods of analysis. From both Greco-Roman and Jewish perspectives, the father’s actions in Luke 15:11–32 may be perceived as exhibiting traits of diminished masculinity, particularly regarding honor. At the same time, these actions challenge prevailing cultural norms of masculine behavior in his contemporary time. In Greco-Roman thinking, the father’s renunciation of personal honor for the sake of love towards his sons emerges as an expression of genuine masculinity. Furthermore, his apparent lack of ἐγκράτεια as self-control is contrasted with a display of the same virtue understood as self-governance.