Rereading the Parable of the Good Samaritan through Theological Literacy: A Hermeneutics of Image
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study, “Rereading the Parable of the Good Samaritan through Theological Literacy: A Hermeneutics of Image,” explores how theological literacy is essential for interpreting the biblical text faithfully. Beyond literary sensitivity, historical context, and theological insight, theological literacy enables readers to discern the author’s true intent and to avoid misrepresentations of the divine message. Using the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) as a case study, the paper demonstrates how images, literary foreshadowing, and even hapax legomena serve as hermeneutical keys for understanding the text as part of the redemptive narrative. The discussion highlights that the Bible should not be read merely through personal or devotional impressions but through careful engagement with its literary and theological structures. Publication InformationThis article was originally published in Journal of Christian Philosophy, Vol. 43 (2025), pp. 315–348.DOI: https://doi.org/10.23291/jcp.2025..43.315 (pending activation). An open-access English version is archived in Zenodo for broader accessibility. Keywords: theological literacy, Good Samaritan, hermeneutics, image, hapax legomena, Image-based Reading, Go and Do Likewise. ### Related Works - *The Parable of the Good Samaritan: An Intertextual Approach to Ezekiel 34.* (2024) - *The Contextual Chiastic Structure and the Theological Meaning of Eternal Life: A Study on Luke 9:51–11:13* (2025) - *A Literary Approach to the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke* (2024) These studies further explore Luke’s literary structure, theological literacy, and the broader narrative framework surrounding the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Author: Oh, Young-Chool
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7080119529