Janeth Norfleete Day

The Woman at the Well: Interpretation of John 4:1-42 in Retrospect and Prospect (Biblical Interpretation Series) Janeth Norfleete Day

The theme of this text is that by integrating traditional historical methods of interpretation with more recent literary and sociological methods, it is possible to propose an alternative understanding of the character and role of the Samaritan woman in John 4. The contents include a survey of the interpretative tradition concerning the Samaritan woman in the church's exegesis, in artistic renderings, and in literary compositions from the Patristic Period until the Modern Era. The work concludes with the author's alternative interpretation, which proposes a pious Samaritan woman versus the traditional immoral one. The volume should be useful as a model for a synthetic approach to biblical interpretation that utilizes both historical and more contemporary methods. Additionally, it demonstrates one possible avenue by which biblical and theological scholars can participate in interdisciplinary studies.