The Political Samaritan: How Power Hijacked a Parable

2017 | Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences

The story of the Good Samaritan is probably the most famous in the Bible, and yet it has been consistently misused by politicians. Many of the most prominent figures of the modern age: Margaret Thatcher, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Jeremy Corbyn and Hilary Benn to name only a few have used or referred to the parable in public utterances. This book is about what they said, how they used it, and what it says about our politics, Christianity, language and oratory today. This is therefore not a narrowly 'religious' or 'political' book, nor an academic study. Rather it uses the power of word, stories, well-known political characters and public reactions to tell an 'Orwellian' tale about the world we live in. In relating this account, Nick Spencer shows how the Good Samaritan has become The Political Samaritan.

Nick Spencer (Author)