scholarly journals Jesus and the Woman of Samaria (John 4:7b–15). From the Heritage of Tradition to the Mystery of Faith

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-636
Author(s):  
Piotr Kot
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
The Gift

The dialogue between Jesus and the woman of Samaria, which is related in detail by the author of the fourth gospel, focuses on the sign of Jacob’s well and the living water in its first part (4:7b–15). The climax of this section combines the well, the gift of God and the identity of Jesus. By way of allusion, Jesus leads the woman to the recognition of His person’s mystery. If readers wish to comprehend the meaning of this conduct, they cannot limit themselves only to the biblical story of the patriarch Jacob. They must consider the Targum traditions. Only thus is it possible to understand how a woman of Samaria could recognize the mystery of Jesus, a Jew. Setting the story in the cultural context sheds light on the author’s intentions behind the inclusion of the narrative of 4:1–42 in Corpus Johanneum. This is important in relation to the land of Samaria which was then inhabited by people who varied in terms of ethnicity and religion. The woman whom Jesus met at Jacob’s well is described in such a way as to represent all Samaritans: descendants of proto-Samaritans and immigrant heathens. All of them were invited to draw from the source of salvation opened up by Jesus Christ.

Faith and Culture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Ezimakor
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Everyday Experience ◽  
Human Culture ◽  
Cultural Life

How do faith and culture interact? Using the example of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, Jude Ezimakor explains their interplay and shows how the Christian faith can connect with human culture to give an authentic testimony of faith in concrete everyday experience. In particular, he explores the question of who Jesus Christ is for a particular community of believers and what meaning he can convey in their contemporary lives and their particular cultural life situations. In this way, Christology begins to merge Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis with the question: How does faith come alive in a particular social-cultural context in order to develop it?

scholarly journals Patronage and clientelism in the fourth gospel

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiola Mbamalu
Keyword(s):  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
Scientific Model ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Social Scientific

Patronage and clientelism as a social-scientific model is used in this article to read the fourth gospel. It is the contention of the article that this model affords the reader fresh vistas of meaning that otherwise would have remained unexplored. It is a reading amongst other readings and does not make pretensions to illuminate every segment of the fourth gospel. Rather, it selectively looks at areas where reading against the backdrop of a patron-client model illuminates the text. This reading sheds light on the greatest gift Jesus came to give, the gift of life as a beneficium, and affirms that the signs that Jesus performed are commendationes. Jesus brokers the blessings of the kingdom to those who believe in him on behalf of the father who is the ultimate patron. Jesus also challenges popular notions of patronage by performing acts reserved for slaves by, for example, washing the feet of his disciples.In hierdie artikel word die begrippe begunstiging en kliëntskap as ’n sosiaal-wetenskaplike model vir die verstaan van die vierde evangelie aangewend. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om aan die leser ’n nuwe begrip te bied wat andersins onontgin sou bly. Die teks van die vierde evangelie word vanuit een invalshoek onder ander invalshoeke gelees en daar word nie voorgegee dat elke segment van hierdie betrokke evangelie daardeur belig sal kan word nie. Daar word vanuit ’n selektiewe invalshoek gefokus op sekere dele waarin die teks verlig word deur perspektiewe wat deur die beskermheer-kliënt model gebied word. So ’n fokus beklemtoon juis die grootste geskenk wat Jesus Christus aan die mensdom gee, naamlik die gawe van lewe. Jesus gee namens die Vader, wie die uiteindelike beskermheer is, die seëninge van die koninkryk aan diegene wat in Hom glo. Terselfdertyd daag Jesus ook die aanvaarde model rakende die draagwydte van beskermheer-skap uit deur verskeie handelinge wat vir slawe gereserveer was, self te verrig, soos dit blyk uit die was van sy dissipels se voete.

No Longer Foreigners and Aliens: Toward a Missiological Christology for Hispanics in the United States

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Mexican Americans ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
The United States ◽  
The New Testament

This study addresses the need for a missiological Christology informed by the sociohistorical and cultural context of Mexican-Americans. The author analyzes the contribution and relevancy of Christologies elaborated around the “Galilean identity” of Jesus, but argues that from an evangelical perspective, Jesus' Galilean identity does not adequately interpret the meaning of the passion and vindication of Christ. This study demonstrates that a Christology developed around the “Rejected Stone” passages found in the New Testament relates the ministry and passion of Jesus Christ in a contextually relevant way to Mexican-Americans. The author also explores the missiological implications of the proposed Christology.

John 1.51, Jewish Apocalyptic and Targumic Tradition

1984 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
Present Discussion ◽  
Jewish Christians ◽  
Christian Message

One of the dominant motifs of the Fourth Gospel is the centrality of Christ for any kind of relationship between man and God. This theme at least stands out as a main purpose of the author, for he sets out to persuade his readers ‘that Jesus is the Christ’, and that believing they ‘may have life in his name’ (20. 31). What is more, he points out the superiority of the revelation in and through Jesus Christ (1. 17;3. 13) as compared with all other claims to offer revelation about God. Whether the author was seeking to persuade non-believers of the truth of the Christian message or Christians to remain faithful to the faith which they already had is much disputed. As far as the present discussion is concerned, however, it will be assumed that the gospel is directed primarily to those who were believers already, rather than being evangelistic in outlook, and is intended to dissuade Jewish-Christians from abandoning their new allegiance to Christ.

Christ in Popular Culture in Korea

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-83
Author(s):  
Young Hwan Ra
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Korean Church ◽  
Minjung Theology ◽  
Korean Christianity ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Popular Images ◽  
Popular Image ◽  
The Way

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which the Korean church developed a popular image of Jesus Christ in her own context. Many scholars often refer to Minjung theology in order to find the Korean understanding of Jesus Christ. Yet, if one seeks to understand Korean Christology only through Minjung theology, he or she will not be able to grasp its whole nature. The evangelicals have also developed their own Christology that is rooted in a particular Korean context. As will be discussed in this paper, there are four popular images of Christ in Korean Christianity. These are: Christ as the Gift, the Reconciler, the Transformer, and the Liberator.

scholarly journals God and emotions: Experience of emotive analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-466
Author(s):  
Sergey M. Pashkov
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Theological Interpretation ◽  
Emotion Development ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
The World ◽  
Christian Understanding ◽  
King James Bible

The present paper accentuates the importance of holistic views of the world that is relevant for text studies. The purpose of the study is to establish what language means representing emotions which are attributed to God by biblical characters are utilized, and, subsequently provide their classification. Based on the study of the theological interpretation of the antinomy ‘“the immutability of God” - the emotions of God”, the paper 1) introduces the concept of ‘attribution of emotions’ into the conceptual and terminological apparatus of emotiology thus explicating the specificity of biblical emotive meanings; 2) provides the analysis of the depicted biblical space in the emotive aspect; 3) gives the interpretation of biblical characters’ activity as a cause of emotions attributed to God. Central to the text analysis is the notion of the emotional script. This notion is instrumental in presenting the systemic description of emotion development, i.e. the cause of its origin and the corresponding reaction. The language material of the present study is taken from King James Bible. The methods employed in the study include the definitional, contextual, emotive, and lingua-stylistic analyses with references to the historical and cultural context. The outcomes of the present study include the identification of the lexical means of emotions and the following typology of such lexical units: 1) lexemes denoting the cause of emotions attributed to God; 2) lexemes denoting the emotions attributed to God; and 3) lexemes denoting the biblical space perceived by characters as a ‘reaction’ to emotions attributed to God. Given the theandric nature of Jesus Christ, the depicted emotions of His are treated as manifestations of His human nature. The results obtained have made it possible to fill in linguistic content into one of the antinomies of Christian understanding of God and to outline the prospect of further linguistic research on Christian dogmata from the perspective of emotivity.

Mormonism

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Q. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
The United States ◽  
Latter Day Saints ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Joseph Smith ◽  
Book Of Mormon ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Four Books ◽  
The Church

Mormonism is the collective name for a group of related churches, movements, and theologies that trace their origins back to the prophetic revelations of Joseph Smith Jr. (b. 1805–d. 1844). The movement splintered following the death of Smith, with the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) becoming by far the largest institutional manifestation of Mormonism today. Mormonism claims to be a restoration of ancient Christianity, following a period of apostasy after the death of Christ’s original apostles. The movement began with a series of revelations to Smith in the 1820s in which God called him to be a prophet and then an angel directed him to a buried ancient record written on golden plates. Smith translated this record “by the gift and power of God” and published it as the Book of Mormon, which is one of four books considered by Mormons to be scripture (along with the Christian Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). Mormons believe that God leads their church through living prophets and continuing revelation, and that ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation are performed only through the priesthood that was restored to Smith and passed on to the church today. Mormons prioritize family relationships, which they believe can be maintained after death through marriage ceremonies conducted in Mormon temples. Heavily persecuted in the 19th century for their practices of polygamy and theocracy, today Mormons are fully integrated into society even while maintaining a distinctive theology and group identity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates an ambitious proselytizing campaign around the globe and continues to enjoy steady worldwide growth, with the majority of its members now residing outside the United States. Though strongly influenced by its origins in a modern American context, as it nears the beginning of its third century Mormonism is emerging as an increasingly mature global religion.

Gender and the Fourth Gospel

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Conway
Keyword(s):  
Queer Theory ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
Symbolic Language ◽  
Gendered Language ◽  
Critical Studies ◽  
Gender Categories ◽  
Gender Criticism

This article traces the scholarship on gender in the Fourth Gospel including the study of the roles of women in the Gospel, the masculinity of the Johannine Jesus, the application of queer theory to readings of the Gospel, gender, and symbolic language, and the intersection of gender and ancient genres. It shows how results from gender criticism are influenced by scholarly approaches (political, historical, and theological) as well as intended audiences for the work. Historically-oriented scholars who focus on the cultural context of the Gospel generally recognize the strongly androcentric leanings of the text. Political and theologically-oriented gender-critical studies of the Gospel typically highlight the mix of gendered language in the narrative with an interest in liberating interpretations. While these different approaches produce different assessments regarding how gender functions in the Gospel, the complexity of gender categories in the Gospel allows for this diversity.

The Person of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Schnelle
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Gospel Of John ◽  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
John 1

In the Gospel of John, the narrative is determined and driven by two issues: (1) the nature of the person of Jesus Christ and (2) the conflict between faith and unbelief. The Prologue at the start already gives basic answers to these questions. In the first part of the Gospel (John 1:19–12: 50), the miracle stories shape the narrative and theological centre: in the signs, Jesus turns to humanity. In the second part (John 13:1–20: 31), the teaching and suffering of Jesus Christ dominate. The Christological titles are embedded in the whole narrative. Narrative Christology and titular Christology are linked in John, but at the same time, the Christological titles have their own significance because, as storehouses of knowledge and bearers of meaning, they express concisely who and what Jesus Christ is for believers. Finally, theological concerns determine the structure of the Fourth Gospel.

The implications of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life for religion

2011 ◽  
Vol 369 (1936) ◽  
pp. 644-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Peters
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Moral Character ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Terrestrial Life ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
Religious Crisis ◽  
The Universe

This paper asks about the future of religion: (i) Will confirmation of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) cause terrestrial religion to collapse? ‘No’ is the answer based upon a summary of the ‘Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey’. Then the paper examines four specific challenges to traditional doctrinal belief likely to be raised at the detection of ETI: (ii) What is the scope of God’s creation? (iii) What can we expect regarding the moral character of ETI? (iv) Is one earthly incarnation in Jesus Christ enough for the entire cosmos, or should we expect multiple incarnations on multiple planets? (v) Will contact with more advanced ETI diminish human dignity? More than probable contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence will expand the Bible’s vision so that all of creation—including the 13.7 billion year history of the universe replete with all of God’s creatures—will be seen as the gift of a loving and gracious God.

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