On Lawn's Journal: Interpretation (p2): The Good Samaritain

By the way, if the name of the country is "Samaria" then why are its people called "Samaritains" rather than "Samarians" or "Samarites"? It seems a strange combination of the two suffixes.

In the last JE, I pointed to a rather in-depth study of a single interpretation of a single word. What interested me in it was how the motivation for interpretive speculation was a serious denial that "steel" could possibly have existed. Yet, it could.

The discussion I want to point you to today is a good example of figurative or moral interpretation (as in the moral of a story). A New Testament parable, to depart a bit from the Genesis theme. Again you might see how different starting points influence the outcome of how they read the story. You might even be able to detect where your own starting point might influence your interpretation of the story.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN AND ETERNAL LIFE

MH42 mentioned that I have discovered that interpretation is private. Yet perhaps closer to the truth is as Calvin said to Hobbes, "People always make the mistake of thinking art is created for them. But really, art is a private language for sophisticates to congratulate themselves on their superiority to the rest of the world." There is a process where someone can truly discover the intended meaning behind a story -- whatever worth that might be. And that meaning will have much more to do with our humanity than our personality. The more inspired the writer, the more valuable the meaning. It is somewhat elitist, but that is not what interests me. I find that its accessibility is the most prized jewel in this pursuit.

Now some side-news....

* I fear no spoiler. I finished "The Deathly Hallows".
* I looked at Multiply, but for my purposes I am not interested in joining Facebook or MySpace, or anything like it. I always found the journal system as a way to my submitted Slashdot stories being turned down. Just as the Diary at K5. That is all. I have vamped up my Google Reader and find myself in touch with much more information (Slashdot included) then I can possible digest. Slashdot may not be what it was, but then neither is the Internet, and neither are the people who are a part of it. I do not mourn the loss of the great place it was, because for me the loss happened about 1999.

Next up: Looking at interpretation visually through collected artworks of the Ark of the Covenant.

I had to pause in my reading to note this joke:

[Marxist Hacker 42]

The early Christian understanding of this allegorical interpretation of the good Samaritan is clearly depicted in the famous 12th-century cathedral in Chartres, France. One of its beautiful stained-glass windows depicts the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden at the top of the window and, at the bottom of the window, the familiar New Testament parable of the good Samaritan, "thereby illustrating a symbolic interpretation of Christ's parable that was popular in the Middle Ages."

To a p

Re:

[Marxist Hacker 42]

In the end though, the result is the same, or close to it. Post Vatican II Catholic interpretation of this scripture is the Samaritan as an "everyman" figure- the Believer alive in Christ- "becoming Christ" to minister to the "half-dead" man- both spiritually (by example) and physically (the coin paid to the innkeeper). We are ALL called, chosen to be Christ-like to one another. One might see this as a blending of the two- the post Calvin position of helping one's neighbor (particularly a hated neighbor,

Re:

[On Lawn]

Blending?

The different interpretations from historic ecclesiastical figures may indeed point to a central core. And there seems to be room for various application.

I guess my problem with your reading is that I've never been a fan of hand-waving. And never really accepted that it is a way to do anything but gloss over what someone doesn't know. Which has its own value, to be sure.

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[Marxist Hacker 42]

The different interpretations from historic ecclesiastical figures may indeed point to a central core. And there seems to be room for various application.

As far as I know, this new version of liberation theology, the idea of the individual believer trying to emulate Christ himself rather than one of the Saints, in both temporal and spiritual realm, is relatively new- dating only back to the 1970s. It's obviously influenced by Protestantism.

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[On Lawn]

Do not miss what is said in the article itself.

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[Marxist Hacker 42]

The article itself had this as a salvation story- the entire reason for the community of Saints was so that we'd have somebody *other* than Christ to emulate (for of course, Christ was so perfect, that no human could reach what he did). Catholics are about 500 years behind the Protestants on this....

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[On Lawn]

"Early Christian Understanding" would be 1st-3rd century, certainly NOT 12th century

You've given me a laugh. Re-read the sentence and tell me where the allegorical interpretation is from, and where it is "depicted". :)