Thesis (M.A.B.S.)--Multnomah School of the Bible, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-63).

Proefschrift--Leiden, 1995. / Résumé en néerlandais. Bibliogr. et discogr. p. 306-329. Index.

This dissertation argues that the Gospel of John was written (at least in part) as a response to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE and the resulting questioning that would have centered on the location of Jewish worship in that temple’s absence. Along these lines, the Fourth Gospel presents the person of Jesus as the locus of worship, both before and after the resurrection event. The risen Jesus abides with his faithful as the dwelling of the divine Presence/Glory, in the same way that the Presence/Glory had dwelt in the midst of Israel in the wilderness tabernacle during the Exodus. Hence, John presents those who embrace the Jesus-temple as “Israel.” The presentation of Jesus as worship locus relies entirely upon the portrayal of Jesus as sacrifice, which has strong parallels to Akedah traditions found in some rabbinic texts and in Philo of Alexandria, among others. Among the ramifications of such a view is the translation of the term Ἰουδαῖοι, typically translated into English as “Jews.” This thesis argues that the translation of Ἰουδαῖοι is overwhelmingly dependent upon the Fourth Gospel’s theme of Jesus as locus of worship, which depends upon the portrayal of Jesus as sacrifice. Because John’s use of Ἰουδαῖοι is centered on the problem of worship location, it should be translated as “Judeans” in nearly every instance: the Ἰουδαῖοι are those who do not have a temple, while Ἰσραήλ is comprised of those who have the Jesus-temple as their worship space.

One of the distinctive features of the Fourth Gospel is the emphasis placed on the divine name (ὄνομα). The name occurs eight times (5.43; 10.25; 12.13, 28; 17.6, 11-12, 26), in key passages and in striking expressions such as “I have made known your name” (17.6) and “your name, which you gave me” (17.11). This thesis uses historical-critical methodology in a close reading of the Fourth Gospel to determine why John is so attracted to the name category. It is argued that, for John, the divine name was fundamentally an eschatological category with a built-in duality or “associative” significance, which he derives primarily from his reading of Isaiah. It is plausible that Isaiah was the primary impetus for John’s interest in the divine name, because name language is bound up with the “I am” expression and glory language in Isaiah— both of which more clearly underlie John’s “I am” sayings and glory motif. Furthermore, the significance of the name in Isaiah as the object of eschatological expectation (Isa 52.6), and as a concept by which God is associated with his Servant, attracted John to the name category as ideal for his nuanced presentation of Jesus. In John’s use of the name category, it is possible to distinguish the question of significance from that of referent, meaning, and function. This, in turn, facilitates a clear evaluation of possible catalysts for John’s name concept. It is demonstrated that a variety of Jewish and Christian background influences contributed to John’s name concept at the level of referent, meaning, and function. However, the eschatological and associative significance of the name in the Fourth Gospel is particularly indebted to the name concept in Isaiah. This is significant, in part, because Isaiah places such emphasis on the exclusivity of God. It may be that a zeal for God’s exclusivity had generated accusations against the community of believers known to John, that, by their allegiance to Jesus, they were guilty of blaspheming the name in particular. The name was, perhaps, a “flashpoint” for the community, and the text of Isaiah a key battle-ground for defining fidelity to God, and the identity of the people of God. By associating Jesus with the divine name, John legitimates the allegiance of believers to Jesus in the face of Jewish opposition, as well as comforts those who were troubled by the continued absence of Jesus, with the point that they were yet identified by the divine name (17.11), and that eschatological revelation of the name promised in Isaiah was extended to their own time as well (17.26b).

No abstract available. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

In this Master's dissertation, I would like to explore a symbolic reading of John 11 (The raising of Lazarus) from the perspective of the church's mission to bring about the liberation of the poor. I believe that as one does so, one might discover that in the Gospel writer's original intention, the figure of Lazarus may never have been intended as a literal historical person, but rather as a symbolic representation of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. Such a reading of John 11 might throw new light on the Fourth Gospel's understanding of Jesus and his mission. In doing so, I believe that John 11 might become a foundational text to guide and motivate committed Christian mission in favour of the poor. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo analisar o processo de elaboração da personagem Jesus de O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo, de José Saramago, a partir da consideração do cânone literário que tem como propósito reler a história estabelecida pelos evangelhos escritos nos primórdios do Cristianismo. Isto é feito primeiro pela seleção de alguns exemplos do referido cânone e depois pela análise da personagem saramaguiana procurando mostrar como ela se relaciona com essas outras versões de Cristo / This dissertation has as objective analyzes the process of the elaboration character Jesus of José Saramago\'s O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo, starting from the consideration of the literary canon that has as purpose to read again the established history for the Gospel written in the origins of the Christianity. That is done first by the selection of some examples of the referred canon and later for the analysis of the Saramago\'s character trying to show like it relations with those other versions of Christ.

Syftet med detta arbete är att synliggöra processen vid arrangerandet av en låt för vokalgrupp i den afroamerikanska genren. Bland annat musikteoriprofessorn Roine Janssons idéer om vokalgruppsarrangering, The Real Groups- och Trey McLaughlins vokalgruppsarrangemang har inspirerat detta arbete. För att undersöka processen har den dokumenterats genom loggboksskrivande, sparade sibeliusutkast och videoinspelningar från träffar med en ihopsatt vokalgrupp som testar arrangemanget allteftersom det utformats. Undersökandet av vad en kreativ process innebär har också stått i fokus. I mitt resultat har det kommit fram vad jag har lagt störst vikt vid. Det har varit variation, dynamisk balans, låta röster härma andra instrument, sociala aspekter vid arrangerandet och att ha tid och att bejaka och testa allt. Jag har till stor del arbetat efter eget tycke och smak med att arrangera och experimentera för att hitta en helhet så som jag vill ha den och som fungerar för sångare i målgruppen. I diskussionen tar jag upp insikter om arrangering och vad som har gynnat kreativiteten.

This thesis describes investigations into the language of rejection used in the Gospel of Mark, employing the methodology of socio-rhetorical interpretation. After describing the history of interpretation of Jesus’ rejection in Chapter I, Chapter II examines how the internal structure of Mark shows the references that relate to the rejection theme and are repeated in sequence. Chapter III explores the conflict issues debated between Jesus and his opponents as the social and cultural texture, in which Mark was written. The three components, Authority, the Law, and Temple, are the main issues in the Gospel. Chapter IV deals with the data of intertexture, a significant influence for the Gospel. Mark borrows rejection language from the Old Testament and ancient Jewish literature as well. In Chapter V, the ideological texture analyzes Mark’s intent responding to his opponents. Mark uses rejection language to warn that those who refuse Jesus as the Son of God cannot avoid the final judgment.

P.Oxy. 840 is a fragment of a lost Gospel that was published by Grenfell & Hunt in 1908. Prima facie P.Oxy. 840 contains a controversy dialogue between Jesus and a high priest regarding purity set within the temple of Jerusalem. The research history shows that the most controversial aspects of P.Oxy. 840 are its historical plausibility, what inter-texts relate to it, how the text is to be reconstructed, and what kind of Christianity lies behind P.Oxy. 840. This dissertation attempts to classify the Christianity of P.Oxy. 840. In the past three trajectories have been proposed in answer to this problem: orthodoxy, Gnosis and Jewish Christianity. This study attempts to answer this research problem by means of a comparative analysis of P.Oxy. 840's inter-texts. A comparative key for analysing texts is designed in accordance with Smith's comparative approach to religions. 22 Representative texts from the three trajectories are compared with P.Oxy. 840 that show comparable theological positions regarding purity and anti-Judaism, and that utilize the same form (chria). The three trajectories, Gnosis, Jewish Christianity and Proto-Orthodoxy are then described as proper taxonomies that can help us classify texts according to their trajectory. The dissertation's classificatory approach understands the various trajectories descriptively in terms of each other, instead of right or wrong (orthodox or heterodox). At the same time the study is informed by a historical conscience, sensitive to the development of theology within the second century. Chapter 4 is the articulation of the author's reading of P.Oxy. 840. Two theological positions emerge: Firstly, P.Oxy. 840 contains strong anti-Jewish polemic, accusing its opponents of lust. Secondly, P.Oxy. 840 motivates the supersession of immersion by baptism ("living water"). Chapter 5 looks at Gnostic inter-texts comparable to P.Oxy. 840. It emerges that Gnostics had the same symbolic understanding of purity as the Proto-Orthodox had. Bovon's idea of a typical Gnostic anti-baptism is undermined. Bovon underestimates the metaphorical reference of "baptism." The similarities between P.Oxy. 840 and the CMC is judged to be circumstantial. Similar logical methodology and a shared literary canon can account for this. Anti-Jewish polemic is not that common in Gnostic literature. Chapter 6 analyses Jewish-Christian inter-texts comparable to P.Oxy. 840. Problems in Kruger's identification of P.Oxy. 840 with the Nazarene community are shown. By looking at Jewish Christian literature it becomes evident that P.Oxy. 840's argumentation is entirely different. P.Oxy. 840 undermines the whole law, while this literature is at pains to uphold it. P.Oxy. 840 appears ignorant of Jewish theology. Chapter 7 examines Proto-Orthodox inter-texts (or at least inter-texts later absorbed by Proto-Orthodoxy) comparable to P.Oxy. 840. Of all the trajectories anti-Judaism plays the biggest role with the Proto-Orthodox. The accusation of Jewish lust becomes characteristic of the emerging Orthodox movement. In the literature of the Proto-Orthodox (both that written by them and that appropriated by them later on) it becomes ever more important to distance oneself from Jewish institutions. Supersessionism becomes an important tool to do this. One of these institutions that is superseded is purificatory immersion by baptism. This idea develops on a trajectory that can be expressed as Q-Mark-John-Hebrews-Barnabas- Justin/P.Oxy. 840. While Justin makes his point through the invention of abstract Christian philosophy, P.Oxy. 840 is an institutional dinosaur that utilizes the chria (attached to the genre of Gospel) to make its point. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / New Testament Studies / PhD / Unrestricted