Luke 16.1–9 is enigmatic. Many interpretative contexts have been offered to illuminate this parable. A social-scientific optic provides an interpretation mostly from the lens of shame, honour, generosity and a patron-client relationship. Reconsidering the parable from a social-scientific lens, this article proposes social capital theory as a good interpretative context, arguing that the dishonest debt reduction by the steward was simply a way through which he built social capital. Social capital building was not new in the Greco-Roman world; it was practised among groups of people to solidify ‘favour banking’, which explains why the master praised the steward’s action since he was aware that such ‘favour banking’ was possible in their world. Jesus then adopted the same position and tasked his disciples to build social capital, to solidify relationships with others by doing favours to them so that when in need, such favours would be returned to them.
AlesinaAlbertoGuiianoPaolaNunnNathan2013 ‘On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough’, Quarterly Journal of Economics128(2): 403–14.
2.
AscoughRichard S.1997 ‘Translocal Relationships among Voluntary Associations and Early Christianity’, JECS5(2): 223–41.
3.
AscoughRichard S.2008 ‘Forms of Commensality in Greco-Roman Associations’, Classical World102 (1): 33–45.
4.
AscoughRichard S.2015 ‘What Are They Now Saying About Christ Groups and Associations?’ Currents in Biblical Research13(2): 207–44.
5.
BaileyKenneth E.1983Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes. Grand Rapids: WB Eerdmans.
6.
BeavisMary Ann1992 ‘Ancient Slavery as an Interpretive Context for the New Testament Servant Parables with Special Reference to the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1–8)’, JBL111: 37–54.
7.
BaergenRene A.2006 ‘Servant, Managers or Slave? Reading the Parable of the Rich Man and Steward (Luke 12:1–8a) Through the Lens of Ancient Slavery’, Studies in Religion/Science Religieuses35(1): 25–38.
8.
BlokA.1969 ‘Variations in Patronage’, Sociologische Gids16: 365–78.
9.
BoissevainJeremy1966 ‘Patronage in Sicily’, Man1(1):18.
10.
BouquetA. C.1956Everyday Life in New Testament Times (London: Macmillan).
11.
BourdieuPierre1985 ‘The Forms of Capital’, in RichardsonJohn G. (ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (New York, NY: Greenwood): 241–58.
12.
BurkettDelbert2018 ‘The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward (Luke 16.1–9): A Prudent Use of Mammon’, NTS64: 326–432.
13.
CampbellJohn Kennedy1964Honour, Family and Patronage (Oxford: Clarendon Press).
14.
ClaridgeTristian2018Introduction to Social Capital’ (Dunedine, New Zealand: Social Capital Research).
15.
ColemanJames S.1988 ‘Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital.’ American Journal of Sociology 94, Supplement: Organizations and Institutions: Sociological and Economic Approaches to the Analysis of Social Structure: S95–120.
16.
ColemanJames S.1990Foundations of Social Theory (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press).
17.
CombrinkHans J. B.1996 ‘A Social-Scientific Perspective on the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Lk 16: 1–8a)’, Neot30(2): 281–306.
18.
CountrymanL. Wm. 1977 ‘Patrons and Officers in Club and Church’, in AchtemeierPaul J. (ed.), Society of Biblical Literature 1977 Seminar Papers (SBLSP 11; Missoula, MT: Scholars Press): 135–44.
19.
CrossanJohn Dominic1973In Parables (New York: Harper & Row).
20.
deSilvaDavid1993 ‘The Parable of the Prudent Steward in its Lucan Context’, Criswell Theological Review6: 256–57.
21.
EisenstadtS. N.RonigerL.1984Patrons, Clients and Friends (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
22.
ElliottJohn H.1993What Is Social-Scientific Criticism? (Minneapolis: Fortress).
23.
ElliottJohn H.1996 ‘Patronage and Clientage’, in RohrbaughRichard L. (ed.), The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson): 144–56.
24.
ElliottJohn H.2008 ‘From Social Description to Social Scientific Criticism: The History of a Society of Biblical Literature Section 1973–2005’, BTB38(1): 26–36.
25.
FinleyM.I.1980Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology (New York: Viking).
26.
FisherNicholas R. E.1988 ‘Roman Associations, Dinner Parties, and Clubs’, in GrantMichaelKitzingerRachel (eds), Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean: Greece and Rome (New York: Charles Scribner’s).
27.
FitzmyerJoseph A.1985The Gospel According to Luke (X-XXIV) (AB; New York: Doubleday).
28.
GoodrichJohn K.2012 ‘Voluntary Debt Remission and the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1 13’, JBL131(3): 547–66.
29.
GrosjeanPauline2014 ‘A History of Violence: The Culture of Honour and Homicide in the US South’, Journal of the European Economic Association12(5): 1285–316.
30.
GrundmannWalter1981Das Evangelium nach Lukas (ThHkNT, 3; Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt).
31.
GuevaraJonathan2024 ‘A Peasant’s Satire of the Politics of Debt (Luke 16:1–8a)’, BTB54(1): 13–25.
32.
HanifanL. J.1916 ‘The Rural School Community Center’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science67: 130–38.
33.
HorsleyRichard A.2005 ‘Jesus Movements and the Renewal of Israel’, in BassDiana Butler (ed.), A People’s History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (Vol. 1; Minneapolis: Fortress).
34.
IrelandDennis J.1989 ‘A History of Recent Interpretation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1–3)’, WTJ51: 293–318.
35.
JeremiasJoachim1963The Parables of Jesus (London: SCM).
LandryDavidMayBen2000 ‘Honor Restored: New Light on the Parable of the Prudent Steward (Luke 16:1–8a)’, JBL119(2): 287–309.
39.
MalinaBruce1981The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology (Atlanta: John Knox).
40.
MalinaBruce1987 ‘Wealth and Poverty in the New Testament and its World’, Interpretation4: 354–67.
41.
MalinaBruce1988 ‘Patron and Client: The Analogy Behind the Synoptic Theology’, Forum4(1): 2–32.
42.
MartinDale B.1993 ‘Social-Scientific Criticism’, in McKenzieSteven L.HaynesStephen R. (eds), To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application (Louisville: John Knox): 103–19.
43.
MariellaVitantonio2022 ‘The Agrarian Origins of Social Capital’, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization193: 543–68.
44.
MansonT. W.1937The Sayings of Jesus (London: SCM Press).
45.
MichelOtto1974 ‘οἰκονόμος’. TDNT5:149–53.
46.
MoxnesHalvor1988The Economy of the Kingdom: Social Conflict and Economic Relations in Luke’s Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress).
47.
MoxnesHalvor1991 ‘Patron-Client Relations and the New Community in Luke-Acts’, in NeyreyJerome H. (ed.), The Social World of Luke-Acts, Models for Interpretation. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson): 241–68.
48.
NarayanDeepa1999 ‘Bonds and Bridges: Social Capital and Poverty’. Washington, DC: World Bank, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, Poverty Division.
49.
NdekhaLouis2021 ‘I Am Not Strong to Dig and I Am Afraid to Beg: Social Status and Status Concern in the Parable of the Dishonest Steward (Lk 16:1–9)’, HTS Teologiese/Theological Studies77(4).
50.
NeyreyJerome. H2005 ‘God, Benefactor and Patron:The Major Cultural Model for Interpreting the Deity in Greco-Roman Antiquity’ Journal for the Study of the New Testament27(4): 465–492.
51.
OakmanDouglas E.1991 ‘The Countryside in Luke-Acts’, in NeyreyJerome H. (ed.) The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson): 151–79.
52.
OesterleyW. O. E.1936The Gospel Parables in the Light of Their Jewish Background (New York: Macmillan).
53.
PortesAlejandro1998 ‘Social Capital: Its Origins and Application in Modern Sociology’, Annual Review of Sociology24(1): 1–25.
54.
PutnamRobert1995 ‘Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital’, Journal of Democracy6(1): 65–87.
55.
SchellenbergRyan. S.2008Which master? Who’s steward? Metalepsis and Lordship in the Parable of the Prudent Steward (Luke 16:1-13), Journal for the Study of the New Testament30(3): 263–288.
56.
ScottBrendan. B.1989Hear Then the Parables: A Commentary on the Parables of Jesus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
57.
SilasDogara Turrang2020 ‘A Social-Scientific Reading of the Parable of the Shrewd Steward in Luke 16:1–9 in a Context of Corruption’, Scriptura119 (1): 1–15.
58.
SnodgrassKlyne R.2008Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).
59.
TeminPeter2004 ‘The Labour Market of the Early Roman Empire’, Journal of Interdisciplinary History34(4): 513–38.
60.
TopelL. John1975 ‘On the Injustice of the Unjust Steward: Lk 16:1–13’, CBQ37: 216–27.
61.
UdohFabian. E.2009The Tale of an Unrighteous Slave (Luke 16:1-8 [13])JBL128(2): 311–335.
62.
UwaegbuteKingsley Ikechukwu2019 ‘A Social-Scientific Reading of Luke 4:16–19 and the Problem of Ethnic Minorities in Nigeria’ Neot53(1): 101–21.
63.
UwaegbuteKingsley Ikechukwu2022Material Possessions in Luke 12 and in Nigerian Christian Practise (Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press).
64.
UwaegbuteKingsley IkechukwuOdoDamian O.2021 ‘Ancient Patronage: A Possible Interpretative Context for Luke 18:18–22?’, HTS Teologiese/Theological Studies77(1): a6427.
65.
UwaegbuteKingsley IkechukwuOdoDamian O.UgwuC.I2021 ‘Social Scientific Criticism in Nigerian New Testament Scholarship’, HTS Teologiese/ Theological Studies77 (1): a6394.
66.
Van EckErnest2009 ‘Interpreting the Parables of the Galilean Jesus: A Social-Scientific Approach’, HTS Teologiese/Theological Studies65(1): 1–12.
67.
Van EckErnest2017 ‘Realism and Method: The Parables of Jesus’, Neot51(2): 163–84.
68.
ViaDan O.1967The Parables: Their Literary and Existential Dimension (Philadelphia: Fortress).
69.
WilkenRobert Louis1984The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
70.
Yu YapMarlene2016 ‘Three Parables of Jesus Through the Shame-Honor Lens’, AJPS19(2): 207–23.
