Source: “Border lines : The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity” By Daniel Boyarin, University of Pennsylvania Press. 2004
3. The Parting of the Ways.mp4
3. The Logos A Jewish Birth.mp4
3. Logos Birth Midrash Reading John.pdf
The Intertextual Birth of the Logos.wav
This topic argues that the Prologue to the Gospel of John is best understood as a Jewish midrash, specifically an interpretation of Genesis 1 and Proverbs 8, rather than a Christian hymn or a purely Hellenistic philosophical concept. It suggests that the idea of the Logos (or Word), a divine agent in creation, was a common theological concept within various forms of first-century Judaism, not solely a Christian innovation. The author contends that the perceived "parting of the ways" between Judaism and Christianity was not initially based on fundamental theological differences like the concept of the Logos, but rather on the Christian identification of this shared concept with the figure of Jesus Christ. The Prologue, therefore, represents a shared "Jewish" nonchristological midrash that is then seamlessly woven into the specifically Christian narrative of Jesus as the incarnated Logos.
For many, the concept of the 'Logos'—the divine "Word" who was with God "in the beginning"—is seen as a uniquely Christian idea, famously introduced in the opening of the Gospel of John. This theology is often considered a key marker that separated early Christianity from its Jewish roots.
However, this common assumption overlooks a deep and surprising history. The concept of the Logos has profound roots in ancient Jewish thought and scriptural interpretation. It was not a Christian invention but an idea that developed within the rich intellectual world of Second Temple Judaism.
This document will explain what Logos theology is, trace its fascinating origins to the creative interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, and show how it was a shared concept among early Jewish groups before it became a cornerstone of Christian identity.