This paper analyses the narrative style of Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' (1948) as a contemporary secular account of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11. The theoretical-methodological approach combines Cook’s (1994), Emmot et al.’s (2023) and Whitt’s (2024) schema theory with Iser's (1980) gap theory (Leerstellen) to investigate how the short story's texture prompts an active reading experience. The analysis focuses on how Jackson recruits and subsequently disrupts religious and ethical schematic knowledge related to collective punishment and mercy. It is argued that by initially establishing an idyllic, pastoral schema of a small-town gathering, the narrative creates a framework of familiarity that is violently subverted by the story's horrifying conclusion. This disruption is achieved through narrative gaps, like the unexplained gathering of stones, which create a growing dissonance. This process forces the reader to confront the dangers of unquestioned tradition; unlike the biblical account, which resolves in mercy, 'The Lottery's' lack of a redemptive figure akin to Jesus serves as an ironic cautionary tale, highlighting the grim consequences of unquestioned tradition and moral passivity.
