In this case the parable of the prodigal son can relate very well to Kierkegaard's three phases. The first comes from aesthetics; it must have been very emotional for the father to lose his youngest son. He didn't know where he would go or when he would return. When the son finally returned, the father could have seen the situation as good or bad. She decided that the fact that her son was home and well was more important than the material things she had lost. The prodigal son did not make the most ethical decisions with his money. He took half of the family's assets and spent it selfishly. The religious phase is quite obvious being a parable; the religious aspect is that the father loved his son no matter what. She also let her son make the decision to leave home, which I'm sure was very difficult to do. It took this journey alone for his son to find and realize who he truly was