While the parable of the prodigal son has traditionally been read as a story about a wayward son in need of repentance or the conflict of two siblings over their just treatment, Hart will suggest that the father is the central character of the narrative. The phenomenological tradition is employed to shift the theological perspective of the parable toward a vision of the kingdom of God imagined through the forgiveness and unconditional love of the Father. This lecture was co-sponsored by the University of Chicago Theology Workshop.