Jesus’s Encounter with The Samaritan Woman as a Model for Christians Engaging in Interreligious Dialogue

Abstract

This article proposes a model for interreligious dialogue that might have more promise than previously applied models. This model uses Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman as an example. In this context this article encourages everyone, especially Christians, to take Jesus’s approach as a new model for interreligious dialogue. Such a reading of this narrative counters those who interpret the Gospel of John as anti-Jewish. Prominent among them is Adele Reinhartz who believes that the text embodies and teaches interreligious hatred (2002). The first major section reviews different scholars’ views on the anti-Jewish interpretation of John. Next the critical issue of the history of the strained relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans is discussed. Then follows a look at the person of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, which highlights him as an example of interreligious dialogue. After that, the place and the kind of people needed for successful interreligious dialogue are outlined. The penultimate section looks at Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman in some detail. The article ends with a recommendation that invites everyone, especially Christians, to always be open to dialogue with other religions.