CHRIST΄S DIALOGUE WITH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE: A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

 

Ioannis lotsios Dr.

Introduction

In an age marked by religious pluralism and increasing tension between faith communities, the need for authentic and theologically grounded interfaith dialogue is more urgent than ever. Within the Christian tradition, the New Testament offers foundational models for such engagement, one of the most striking of which is Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman[1] at the well[2].

This encounter is not merely a narrative of individual conversion but a theological and missiological blueprint for engaging the "religious other" in a spirit of truth, compassion, and transformative relationship[3]. The dialogue stands at the intersection of Jewish-Samaritan conflict, gender roles, social taboos, and theological divergence, offering fertile ground for reflection on the challenges and promises of interfaith engagement today[4].

This essay explores the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman as a paradigm for interfaith dialogue. It investigates the historical and theological background of the encounter, the dynamics of the conversation itself[5], and its implications for contemporary theological praxis. It argues that this episode exemplifies a Christocentric, relational, and dialogical approach to religious difference that remains profoundly relevant in our multi-faith context.

1. Historical and Theological Context of the Encounter

To fully appreciate the interreligious dimension of John 4, one must consider the strained relations between Jews and Samaritans in the first century[6]. The hostility between these two groups dated back to the post-exilic period, when the returning Jews rejected the religious claims and cultic practices of the Samaritans, whom they regarded as ethnically impure and theologically heretical[7]. The Samaritans, for their part, maintained a rival temple on Mount Gerizim and accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture. By the time of Jesus, Jewish attitudes toward Samaritans were often marked by disdain, and interaction was typically avoided[8].

In this context, Jesus’ decision to travel through Samaria and engage in a theological discussion with a Samaritan — and a woman, no less — breaks multiple social and religious taboos. According to the Johannine narrator, “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans”[9]. Moreover, speaking alone with a woman in public was culturally inappropriate for a Jewish rabbi. Jesus’ initiative thus signals a radical openness that subverts exclusionary religious boundaries in favor of a mission marked by relational engagement.

 

 

2. The Dialogical Method of Christ

Crist interaction with the Samaritan woman is deeply dialogical[10]. Rather than delivering a monologue or asserting doctrinal superiority, Jesus engages in a dynamic conversation that unfolds in stages: from physical need ("Give me a drink")[11] to theological depth ("God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth")[12]. The woman begins by perceiving Jesus as a Jewish man (v. 9), then as a prophet (v. 19), and finally as the Messiah (v. 29). Her transformation unfolds through dialogue, not coercion — a hallmark of authentic interfaith engagement.

Furthermore, Jesus neither ignores the theological divergence between Jews and Samaritans nor condemns it unilaterally. He acknowledges the historical reality (“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know,” v. 22), but points beyond exclusive claims to a universal horizon: “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (v. 23). This eschatological opening gestures toward a theology of fulfillment rather than replacement.

3. The Samaritan Woman as a Symbol of the Religious "Other"

The Samaritan woman can be seen as a literary and theological representation of the religious "other" — someone who embodies both cultural estrangement and theological difference. Her status as a Samaritan, a woman, and a person with a socially controversial personal life positions her at the margins of religious respectability. Yet, it is precisely to her that Jesus reveals profound truths about God and authentic worship. This suggests a subversion of traditional religious hierarchies and a radical inclusivity at the heart of the gospel message.

Moreover, the woman's progression in understanding reflects a journey familiar to many interfaith encounters: from skepticism to curiosity, from defensive posture to openness, and finally to witness and proclamation. Her transformation into a bearer of good news to her own community[13]  challenges the idea that religious outsiders must first conform to internal standards before being included in the divine plan. Instead, she becomes an agent of revelation, embodying the very mission she has encountered[14].

4. From Dialogue to Mission: The Ecclesial Dimension

The conclusion of the narrative in John 4 is not merely an individual response but a communal awakening. The woman becomes the catalyst for a local missionary movement: "Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony"[15]. Her dialogue with Jesus thus initiates a broader ecclesial reality wherein the boundary between Jew and Samaritan begins to dissolve in shared faith.

This movement from personal dialogue to communal belief exemplifies how authentic interfaith encounters can yield ecclesiological fruit[16]. The Church, understood not merely as an institutional body but as the community of those who have encountered Christ, is called to embody this same openness and mission. The story challenges contemporary ecclesial communities to adopt a missional posture that is not rooted in proselytism but in dialogical witness and hospitality[17].

Importantly, the Samaritan villagers' confession of faith (“we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world,” v. 42) reflects a recognition of Jesus' universal salvific mission. Their proclamation expands the horizon of Christ's mission beyond ethnic and religious borders, laying the foundation for a catholicity grounded in personal encounter and communal transformation.

5. Interpretative and Theological Implications for Contemporary Interfaith Dialogue

The dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4:1–42) offers a paradigmatic model of encounter that does not rest on relativism or the suppression of truth, but rather on a deep theological trust in the revelatory power of relationship. Christ acknowledges the woman’s otherness, speaks truthfully about theological differences, and simultaneously invites transcendence through the reality of God as Spirit and Truth.

This model stands in contrast both to conflictual frameworks of exclusion and to syncretistic approaches that seek harmony through the erasure of difference. Rather than pursuing agreement through doctrinal flattening, Jesus engages the woman in a transformative process rooted in truth and the Spirit. This offers a theological foundation for an interfaith dialogue that does not abandon its Christocentric identity but expresses it as a gift offered to the other.

Moreover, this passage underscores the necessity of including marginalized voices in theological discourse. The Samaritan woman — both socially and theologically another — becomes a key theological interlocutor. Interfaith dialogue, therefore, must include not only official religious representatives but also the everyday experiences of ordinary believers, particularly those on the peripheries of religious communities.

 

Conclusion

The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman offers an enduring model for Christian interfaith dialogue. Rooted in the incarnation and marked by respect, theological depth, and personal transformation, this biblical narrative transcends its historical setting to speak powerfully to today’s religiously diverse world. Jesus does not relativize truth, but he embodies it in a way that is invitational rather than confrontational. His openness to the religious other without compromising his identity offers a paradigm for how the Church might engage in genuine dialogue that is neither reductionist nor triumphalistic.

By centering the dialogue on personal encounter and spiritual thirst, John 4 offers a framework for approaching interfaith relations that balances fidelity to Christian identity with deep respect for the other. It is a call for the Church to rediscover the power of witness through relationship, and to recognize the surprising places where God may already be at work beyond its formal boundaries.

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[1] Joel B. Green (ed.), «Samaritan Woman», in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series) Hardcover – November 11, 2013, by Joel B. Green (Editor, Co-editor), Prof. Jeannine K. Brown (Editor, Co-editor), pp. 729–734.

[2] John 4:1–42.

[3] John Chrysostom, Ομιλία ΛΒ΄, Εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγέλιον: «Πόσον δε φιλοσοφώτερον ἡ γυνὴ ἀντιλέγει· “Κύριε, οὐτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις, καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶ βαθύ· πόθεν οὖν ἔχεις τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν;” Οὐ κατεγέλασε, οὐκ εἶπε· τίνα μανίαν ἐμαίχετο; ἀλλ’ εἰρηνικῶς, καὶ μάλιστα σπουδῆς τινος ἐμφατικῶς ἀντελάβετο τοῦ λόγου» , PG 59, 180.

[4] Νικολάου Λουδοβίκου Πρωτ., Πρόσωπο και Έρως: Οντολογία και Οικουμενικότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη: Αρμός, 2002. Commenting on the encounter as a revelatory event of transcendence of otherness

[5] Gregory of Nyssa, Λόγος εἰς τὴν Φωτοφόρον καὶ Ἁγίαν Ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Κυρίου, «Ἡ γυνὴ ἐκεῖνη, τῆς Σαμαρείας, τύπος ἐστὶν τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὃ τῇ χάριτι πρὸς τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ Λόγου προσῆλθεν», PG 46, 617B.

[6] Marianne Meye Thompson, “Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John 4: A Study in Narrative and Theology”, in Journal of Biblical Literature, 109, 2 (1990), pp. 263–276. David Rensberger, “Encountering the Divine: Transformation in John 4”, in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 63, 4 (2009), pp. 390–400.

[7] Stanley Samartha, One Christ–Many Religions, Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1991, pp. 65–80. David Rensberger, “Encountering the Divine: Transformation in John 4”, in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 63, 4 (2009), pp. 390–400.

[8] Dimitrios Salapatas, “Interreligious Dialogue and the Samaritan Woman”, Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2021), pp. 195–210.

[9] John 4:9.

[10] Sotirios Despotis, Η Βίβλος και ο Διαθρησκειακός Διάλογος, Αθήνα: Εν Πλω, 2012, σσ. 97–112. Fore more see Ἀναστασίου Γιαννουλάτου, Αρχιεπ. Αλβανίας, Ἡ Ἐιρηνικὴ Συνύπαρξη καὶ Ὁ Διαθρησκειακὸς Διάλογος, Ἐκδ. Ἀποστολικῆς Διακονίας, 2005.

[11] Cyril of Alexandria , Υπόμνημα εις το κατά Ιωάννην , Ομιλία ΛΒ, «Ὕδωρ ζῶν ὁνομάζει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, δι᾽ οὗ ἀνακαινίζεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς καινὴν ζωήν ἐν Χριστῷ» , PG 73, 221B.Βασιλείου Σελευκείας, Ομιλία εις την Σαμαρείτιδαν, Ἡ Σαμαρείτις ὡς ψυχὴ διψῶσα, ἀντιλαμβάνεται τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Λόγου καὶ μεταδίδωσι τοῖς συμπολίταις· ἐκκαλεῖ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπὶ Χριστόν», PG 85, 296A.

[12] John 4:24.

[13] John 4:28-30.

[14] Theophylaktou Boulgarias , Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην, «Ἡ γυνὴ ἦν μὲν ἁμαρτωλή, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ πόθου ἐδείξατο ἱκανὴν ἐκλεκθῆναι, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνεπιστρεπτοῦ γίνεται κήρυξ», PG 123, 1085D.

[15] John 4:39.

[16] Nicholas Kabasilas, Περὶ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ζωῆς, «Ὡς ὑπόδειγμα τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν διψῆς προτείνεται ἡ Σαμαρείτις, ἥτις τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν ἠξιώθη δέξασθαι», PG 150, 572A. Hierotheos Vlachos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, The Healing of the Soul, published by the Holy Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos, 2003, p. 148 «Ἡ ἁμαρτωλὴ γυνὴ μεταμορφώνεται διὰ τῆς ὑπαρξιακῆς συναντήσεως μετὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἡ Σαμαρείτις ἀναδεικνύεται ὡς ὑπαρξιακὸ μοντέλο μετανοίας.».

[17] Panaiotis Trempelas, , Commentary on the Gospel of John, Αθήνα: Ο Σωτήρ, χ.χ. pp. 168–185.