John and the Others: Jewish Relations, Christian Origins, and the Sectarian Hermeneutic

The Johannine literature has influenced the Church's christological creeds, Trinitarian formulations, and ecumenical and social movements, but biblical scholars often detect a dangerous program of harsh polemics against the other. Andrew Byers challenges the sectarian hermeneutic that has shaped much of the interpretation of the Gospel and Letters of John and suggests that John is opposed to the exclusionary positioning of ethnicity as a soteriological category. He also demonstrates that the Other Disciple is a salutary resource for a contemporary world steeped in the negative discourse of othering and that John's social vision entails othering, but the negative other in John is ultimately cosmic evil.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2021
Publisher: Baylor University Press

The Johannine literature has had a profound impact on the Church's christological creeds, Trinitarian formulations, and ecumenical and social movements. While confessional readers find in these texts a divine love for the world, biblical scholars often detect a dangerous program of harsh polemics aimed against other groups. In this context, the Johannine writings can be seen as products of an anti-society with its own anti-language articulating a worldview that is anti-ecclesiastical, anti-hierarchical, and, more seriously, anti-Jewish and even anti-Semitic.

In New Testament studies, the prefix "anti-" has become almost synonymous with Johannine literature. In his book "John and the Others," Andrew Byers challenges the sectarian hermeneutic that has dominated much of the interpretation of the Gospel and Letters of John. Byers argues that we should understand John as opposed to the exclusionary positioning of ethnicity as a soteriological category. He also shows that this stream of early Christianity is not antagonistic towards the wider Christian movement.

The Fourth Evangelist, John, openly situates his work within a crowded field of alternative narratives about Jesus without seeking to supplant prior works. While John is often regarded as a low-church theologian, Byers demonstrates that the episcopal ecclesiology of Ignatius of Antioch is compatible with Johannine theology. John does not locate revelation solely within the personal authority of each believer under the power of the Spirit, and thus does not undermine hierarchical leadership.

Byers further demonstrates that the Other Disciple, often regarded as a negative figure in John's writings, can be seen as a salutary resource for a contemporary world steeped in the negative discourse of othering. While John's social vision entails othering, the negative other in John is ultimately cosmic evil, and his theological convictions are rooted in a deep understanding of the nature of sin and redemption.

In conclusion, the Johannine literature has inspired the Church's christological creeds, prompted its Trinitarian formulations, and resourced its ecumenical and social movements. While biblical scholars have detected a dangerous program of harsh polemics against other groups, confessional readers find in these texts a divine love for the world. Byers' book "John and the Others" challenges the sectarian hermeneutic that has shaped much of the interpretation of these texts and offers a fresh perspective on John's writings. Byers demonstrates that the Johannine writings are not anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic but rather a response to the exclusionary positioning of ethnicity as a soteriological category and a call to a deeper understanding of the nature of sin and redemption.

Weight: 472g
Dimension: 151 x 225 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781481315906