Abstract:
A critical dialogue of structure and reader interprets Paul's allegory of
the 'wild olive branches' beyond functionalistic methods of interpretation.
Structuralism analyses the antithetical contrasts of the 'wild' and
'cultivated' branches, faith and unfaithfulness, and the kindness and
severity of God which abounds in 'double parallelisms'. Reader semiotics
identifies the recipient of grace ingrafted by God as participant in
salvation. Grace shows no partiality of persons. The symbolism of 'wild
olive branches' leads via the 'root' to the righteous servant as interpretant.
Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles, as 'wild olive branches',
have a claim to any 'prerogative of salvation '. The only privilege which
prevails is one of service and allegiance to the divine call. The variegated
perspectives generated by this analysis contribute to the polymorphous
character of the meaning of the text. The critical dialogue of
literary semiotics challenges the reader of every generation to enter into
the ensuing debate and interpret the text in a way which is relevant to
his/her historical context.
