Reading Luke 2.41–52 in the Post-War Context: War Trauma, Intergenerational Tension, and Therapeutic Reading Experience
This paper reads Luke 2.41–52 in light of war trauma and intergenerational tensions surrounding the Temple in the post-Jewish War context. The war was a deeply traumatic event for diaspora ekklēsiai in the late first to early second century CE, making it essential to interpret the Lukan Gospel throu...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal for the study of the New Testament
Year: 2025, Volume: 48, Issue: 1, Pages: 119-149 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Lukasevangelium 2,41-51
/ Trauma
/ Trauma (Motif)
/ Temple
/ Jewish War (66-70)
/ War
|
| RelBib Classification: | HC New Testament HD Early Judaism KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity RG Pastoral care TB Antiquity ZD Psychology |
| Further subjects: | B
Temple
B Luke 2.41–52 B intergenerational tension B the Jewish War B Diaspora B Trauma B therapeutic reading experience |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This paper reads Luke 2.41–52 in light of war trauma and intergenerational tensions surrounding the Temple in the post-Jewish War context. The war was a deeply traumatic event for diaspora ekklēsiai in the late first to early second century CE, making it essential to interpret the Lukan Gospel through this lens. Within this framework, I argue that the interaction between Jesus and his parents reflects generational tensions over the destroyed Temple and the enduring effects of the war. The parents’ panic while searching for their son echoes the trauma experienced by diaspora Jewish and Christ-following communities, particularly among the older generation who lived in closer proximity to the historical event. Jesus, whose youth is emphasized by the Lukan author, responds enigmatically: it is not in the Temple per se, but ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρός μου—which can also be translated ‘in the things of my Father’—where what they seek is to be found. For readers living in the aftermath of the Temple’s destruction, Jesus’ ambiguous reply serves to decentralize the Temple’s physical presence and affirm the diaspora as a place where God’s work continues, where new hopes and identities can emerge. This passage thus offers a therapeutic reading experience for communities grappling with postwar trauma and generational strain. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5294 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the New Testament
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0142064X251355332 |
