The Prodigal So by Henri Nouwen
Week 1: Introduction — A Sudden Stop Before a Painting
Read the Preface and Introduction of The Return of the Prodigal Son. Primary Scripture: Luke 15:11–32.
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Nouwen's journey into this parable began not in a library but in a corridor, when a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting stopped him cold — consider what image, word, or moment has ever arrested you in a similar way.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Nouwen describes being transfixed by a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting pinned to a friend's door. What was it about the image — particularly the father's hands on the son's shoulders — that refused to let him go? Have you ever had a moment when a piece of art, music, or literature broke through your ordinary defenses and touched something deep? What was that like?
2.From the very first pages, Nouwen frames this as a book about homecoming — not a homecoming to a place, but to a Person. How does he distinguish between the search for a geographical or relational home and the deeper longing he is describing?
3.Nouwen is remarkably transparent about his own restlessness and loneliness as the context for his encounter with the painting. Why do you think he begins with autobiography rather than theology or art history? What does this choice tell you about the kind of book — and the kind of journey — he is inviting you into?
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