The Gospel of John

3 credits · Divinity School

This course addresses various theories concerning the Gospel of John's historical context, narrative art, and history of interpretation. We will consider, among other concerns (1) John's use of Israel's Scriptures (2) the Gospel's presentation of economics and politics, including Rome's "criminal justice system"; (3) its depiction of social groups: military, government officials, religious leaders, people requesting hearings, women, disciples, householders, "Jews," Samaritans, etc. and (4) Christology. Discussion will attend both to what the text might have meant in its original context, how it has been interpreted over time, and what it might mean for readers today. [3]