For Theirs Is the Kingdom - by Amy Lindeman Allen (Paperback)

About the Book

This book re-reads Luke's gospel account in light of the historical roles and presence of children in the first century Mediterranean world. By (re)membering child followers of Jesus throughout Luke's narrative, Allen provides an alternate reading of Lukan discipleship with an...

Book Synopsis

Images of Jesus blessing children adorn Sunday schools across the globe. Nevertheless, interpreters typically flatten Jesus' interaction with children into a handful of scenes, suggesting that children were the exception rather than the rule in Jesus' ministry. In contrast, historical evidence suggests that Jesus' first-century world was teeming with children.

Re-reading Luke's gospel in this light, For Theirs Is the Kingdom interrogates the role and presence of children among Jesus' early followers. Demonstrating a rich presence parallel to the gospel's surrounding cultures, it offers a new perspective not only on Luke's child-centered narratives, but on the account as a whole. By drawing out the acceptance and participation of children in the Kingdom of God, Lindeman Allen places interdependence across generations at the core of Lukan discipleship.

Review Quotes

"[Allen's] intellectual honesty and epistemic humility are to be commended (and emulated). . . . Allen has written an important book. Scholars of biblical children, as well as scholars of Luke, would do well to read it. . . her deep engagement with the child characters of Luke will generate new scholarly questions." --Catholic Biblical Quarterly

"This wonderfully insightful book opens up entire new vistas in our reading of Luke's gospel. Suddenly, we actually see children among the crowds, within homes and synagogues, and alongside Jesus' followers. By opening our eyes to children as active disciples, Lindeman Allen simultaneously invites radical hospitality toward them as full participants in today's world and God's household. A refreshing, transforming look at scripture." --Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Vanderbilt University

"Lindeman Allen draws the discipleship circle wide and focuses our gaze on the children. Her depiction of children in Luke's gospel challenges us to see and hear them anew as bearers of God's word and grace, and lights the path for us to follow their lead today." --Leah Gunning Francis, Christian Theological Seminary

"Among the first book-length treatments of children in Luke's gospel, For Theirs Is the Kingdom makes a significant contribution to the growing field of childist interpretations of the Bible. This study moves beyond obvious child-centered narratives to foreground children throughout Luke and provocatively suggests that some among Jesus' closest disciples may have been children or adolescents. By examining the texts which refer to places where children lived their lives in the first century, Lindeman Allen convincingly argues for the 'place' of children throughout the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. This volume is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature on children in the biblical world." --Sharon Betsworth, Saint Paul School of Theology

"Lindeman Allen deftly and helpfully highlights the ways children are often seen but not heard in Luke's gospel and in interpretations over the centuries. The book invites the readers to reimagine Koinonia in which children are full-fledged disciples of Jesus and makes a very compelling case that their unique perspectives can radically enrich and expand our worlds. A significant contribution to Lukan scholarship." --Raj Nadella, Columbia Theological Seminary

"We are, at best, ambivalent about children, Lindeman Allen reminds us. Faulting both Western society and the Christian tradition for oscillating between idealizing and diminishing children, Lindeman Allen offers a vision of a childest Biblical criticism that surprises, informs, and challenges. Scripture can be read otherwise, we can re-imagine the Kingdom of God, and we need to rethink being the Church. Pastors, religious educators and pastoral caregivers reading For Theirs Is the Kingdom will have their childhood experiences affirmed. They will also be challenged to reconsider worship, Christian education, pastoral care, discipleship, reconciliation, and other Christian practices. Lindeman Allen places children in sharp focus and listens to them, a correction long overdue." --Jaco J. Hamman

"This rewarding study joins a growing body of scholarship devoted to the role of children in early Christianity and the New Testament. Students of Luke's gospel will discover a refreshing and informative reading of Luke's account here - one with great significance for the contempory church." --The Bible Today

"With her book For Theirs Is the Kingdom: Inclusion and Participation of Children in the Gospel according to Luke, Amy Lindeman Allen makes a significant contribution to the growing field of child-oriented criticism of biblical texts by offering one of the first book-length explorations of children in a single New Testament book. While written primarily for an academic readership, the book also offers insights for faith leaders who are open to including children as active and integral members of their faith communities." --Horizons In Biblical Theology

"In this innovative study, the author draws attention to the silent and, potentially, un(der)recognized presence of children in Luke's Gospel. The book's overarching thesis is that children would have been present in the main loci of Jesus's activity, from family households to places of worship and marketplaces. Accordingly, they must be included among the intended recipients of Jesus's ministry.... These hypotheses deserve close consideration, including in light of the other canonical gospels. The book joins the growing field of childist biblical studies, a promising new approach to the text of the Bible." --Religious Studies Review

About the Author

Amy Lindeman Allen is assistant professor of New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary.