This paper presents an innovative “unhiding” reading of Luke’s parables that reconceptualizes ancient narratives by engaging the imaginative processes of first‐century audiences. Unhiding is unique in its approach as it focuses on parables—narratives rooted in the realia and emic environment of the first-century Mediterranean—and invites audiences to employ their hermeneutical skills to reconstruct the unseen. Methodologically, the study is anchored not only in historical and social scientific criticism but also in the disciplines of exegetical imagination and women’s history. This firmly positions the research within the ancient context, aiming to understand the lived realities and cultural perceptions of its original hearers, rather than imposing modern interpretative frameworks.
Central to this approach is the argument that women are not absent from the parables; they are merely hidden. While the majority of parables, at face value, seem not to contain any women, the ancient audience would have naturally envisioned female characters—wives, daughters, female slaves, laborers, and entertainers—as integral to the parables’ scenes. The concept of unhiding functions as a heuristic device, directing modern readers to explore what the text implies through the cultural and imaginative lenses of its first-century audience of the parables. This redirection is crucial for a more faithful and accurate interpretation that recovers what appears to be textually absent yet was actively present in the minds of the original listeners.
Furthermore, by employing an imaginative reconstruction, the study demonstrates that the parables, when read solely at face value, offer an unduly narrow interpretation. The ancient listeners, often illiterate, relied on oral traditions and rich, culturally informed imaginations to reconstruct every “house” or “feast” in the parables in their mind’s eyes—scenes that invariably included, and more importantly evoked images of, women. Women who would often be critical to the success of the parables’ plot and conclusion.
Moreover, an unhiding reading offers a practical framework for faith communities and social actors to address the inclusion of women in ministry, a reevaluation of theological education, and even the pandemic of Gender-Based Violence by reclaiming the visibility and significance of female voices. In this way, the study not only enriches biblical scholarship but also serves as a call to action for a more inclusive and socially just approach to interpreting scripture.