A Womanist Interpretation of the Lukan Parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:15-24): Using the Amended Parable Theory of Octavia E. Butler

Abstract

For African American women and many others, Octavia Butler’s recontextualizations of biblical parables aid in the understanding of the biblical text. Additionally, her recontextualizations help African American women decode the oppressive reality of their own lives. As womanists, we believe that these stories of our lives have value for theological reflection. As an African American Christian womanist, I believe that my reflections lend value to the general discussion of womanist thought. Furthermore, a womanist hermeneutic, an interpretive procedure that takes seriously the everyday experiences of being African American and female in the diaspora, says that the life and ministry of Jesus is central to the theology of African American Christian women. The parables of Jesus, the primary genre of his teaching in the gospels, compel African American women and hearers to come to a decision about the person and ministry of Jesus. These parables speak on two levels: the aspects of everyday life and the reign of God. The understanding of the relationship between these two levels is reflected in parable theories.