For Theirs is the Kingdom: (Re)membering Young Children in the Gospel of Luke

Abstract

Dominant readings of Luke’s gospel account tend to flatten the presence of children in Luke’s narrative into a handful of scenes. These scenes are typically treated as the exception rather than the rule of Jesus’ ministry and, by extension, that of the nascent communities to whom Luke’s gospel is addressed. Historical evidence, however, suggests that such communities took root in a social world and culture teeming with children who had important roles to play in their families, religions, and society. By re-reading Luke’s gospel with the presence and experiences of such children in mind, this project seeks both to remember the narratives of early Christian children silenced by the adult centric writing and reading of Luke’s text; and, in the process, re-member Christian communities both past and present, by bringing them into completion through acceptance of the presence and participation of children in the Kingdom of God. Reading Luke’s gospel through a childist lens sheds new light on both the narrative units and the narrative as a whole, suggesting an overarching theme of interdependence necessary for such a (re)membrance. Through the lens of child disciples, this project argues for a (re)imagination of discipleship in Christ’s church more generally, with a value for interdependence at its core.