Nick Spencer

The Political Samaritan (eBook, PDF)

How power hijacked a parable

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Nick Spencer sets out to rescue an innocent parable, mugged for political ends, ignored by passers-by, and then left for half-dead at the edge of the English language.

The parable of the Good Samaritan has been used by almost every major British politician over recent years - from Theresa May and Tony Blair to Margaret Thatcher and Jeremy Corbyn. But they don't all use it to say the same thing.

Discussing the various figures who've politicised the Samaritan, Spencer - described by the Economist as 'like a prophet crying in the post-modern wilderness' - explains why and how Jesus' famous parable got mixed up in politics. From abolitionists to warmongers, prime ministers to activists such as Dr Martin Luther King, he uncovers the reasons for the parable's popularity - and then asks the killer question: who gets it right?

If the Good Samaritan has been dragged on to the political stage, whose side is he on?

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 208
• Erscheinungstermin: 16. November 2017
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781472942197
• Artikelnr.: 49272145

Autorenporträt

Nick Spencer is Research Director at Theos, the public theology think tank. He writes and speaks on religion, politics and society and is the author of several books on the subjects, including Freedom and Order: History, Politics and the English Bible and Darwin and God.

Inhaltsangabe

The parable of the Good Samaritan 1 'He welcomed them and spoke to them'
Talking God Talking politics The words we live by A divine register 2 'They
did not understand what this meant' Introducing the political Samaritan The
parliamentary Samaritan The Thatcherite Samaritan The Labour Samaritan The
contemporary Samaritan Conclusion 3 'How do you read it?' Arriving at the
parable Enter the lawyer The parable A priest and a Levite were walking
along a road Samaritans The 'Good' Samaritan So, you can see, the parable
obviously means... Church interpretations Conclusion 4 'Go and Do Likewise'
Who's right? Christianity in the UK Reasonable political language Politics
Political rhetoric Postscript: Picking up a half-dead metaphor
Acknowledgements Notes A Note on the Author