Abstract:
The parable of the Prodigal Son is traditionally viewed from an androcentric perspective,
focusing on the male characters, such as the father and brothers. However, this article
suggests that the original listeners may have perceived female characters as present and
significant. It briefly explores the roles of the Prodigal’s mother and the father’s mother,
proposing an alternative interpretation. Evidence indicates that a 1st-century audience might
have envisioned a parallel narrative, termed ‘the Parable of the Two Mothers’, within the
story. This imagined parallel parable could reflect the high-context understanding of the
original hearers. The article aims to reconstruct this proposed parallel parable not only as a
potentially imagined narrative within the Prodigal Son but also as a counter-narrative tool.
This tool seeks to aid faith communities in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) by
offering a narrative device that brings women’s voices to the forefront in congregational and
social contexts.
INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : The interdisciplinary nature of this
article contributes to the debate on the roles and importance of women in the church by
investigating the value that women had in the parables of Jesus. Furthermore, this article
promotes an inclusive reading of biblical texts aiming to combat the pandemic of GBV in
South African communities. By reading women as present in the text, emphasis is given to the
voices of women in the Bible and the importance of their representation today. This research
is also in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender
equality and women empowerment.
