Allegorical Interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan

This is a paper written for a class at Heritage Christian University. In it, I survey the history of the interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan and assess the allegorical interpretation of the parable. While most people today do not advocate for the complex allegorical approach of Origen or Augustine, there is a growing tendency to promote a modified allegory centering on the Samaritan as a representation of Jesus.