Stewardship and the Kingdom of God

The parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16:1-13 is a unity which teaches faithful stewardship of material possession against an eschatological backdrop. This interpretation is confirmed by examination of the pericope itself and progressively wider levels of context within Luke's Gospel. This study is a summary of the literature on the parable, the central section and the themes of riches and poverty and eschatology in the Third Gospel. Chapter One provides a history of recent interpreations of the parable (19th and 20th centuries) as background for the ensuing study. Detailed exegesis of Luke 16:1-13 itself is found in Chapter Two. The investigation is broadened in Chapter Three to include the immediate and broader literary contexts (Luke 15-16 and 9:51-19:44, respectively). Chapter Four examines the theological context, in particular the themes of riches and poverty and the kingdom of God. Chapter Five summarizes the major conclusions of the book.

Review:

'It is by far the most thorough treatment of Luke 16:1-13 I have ever read...I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to study seriously the parable of the unjust steward.' Walter W. Wessel, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1993. '...this is a careful summary of the problems and of the main solutions to the cruces interpretum in this parable.' William S. Kurz, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1994. 'This book is a model of clarity in both organization and expression.' Robert L. Brawley, Journal of Biblical Literature, 1994. 'Ireland's readable and well structured book confirms the common exegesis of LK 16,1-13. It rightly stresses the importance of a contextual approach in determining the meaning of a text.' A. Denaux, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, 1994. '...Ireland's survey of the discussion surrounding this parable is comprehensive and fair, and his exegesis of the passage is carefully done. For those looking for a comprehensive treatment of this parable, this monograph is well worth careful study.' Darrell L. Bock, The Evangelical Quarterly.