Gender, Narrative Agency, and Testimony: A Feminist Literary Reading of the Samaritan Woman in the Gospel of John

Abstract

The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.1–42 has traditionally been interpreted within theological frameworks that emphasise evangelism, repentance, or moral transformation. However, such interpretations often marginalise the narrative agency of the Samaritan woman and overlook the gendered dynamics embedded in the text. This paper offers a feminist literary re-reading of the pericope, arguing that the Samaritan woman functions not merely as a passive recipient of revelation but as an active theological interlocutor and narrative catalyst. Employing feminist literary criticism and close textual analysis, the study examines how the Johannine narrative destabilizes patriarchal assumptions regarding gender, ethnicity, and religious authority. The analysis advances three claims: first, that the dialogue structure of the narrative foregrounds the Samaritan woman as an intellectual participant in theological discourse; second, that the narrative subverts social and cultural boundaries related to gender and ethnicity through the well-scene encounter; and third, that the Samaritan woman emerges as a proto-apostolic witness whose testimony facilitates communal belief. Through these claims, the study demonstrates that the Gospel of John strategically constructs the Samaritan woman as a transformative figure who mediates divine revelation to her community. This reinterpretation contributes to feminist biblical scholarship by foregrounding marginalised voices within canonical texts and by situating the narrative within broader discussions of gendered authority and witness in early Christian literature. The Samaritan woman emerges as a figure of female discipleship whose dialogue and testimony establish her theological agency within the Johannine narrative.