The central subject explored is the long-standing scholarly hypothesis concerning a specific Christian social group associated with the production of the Gospel and Letters of John. This concept, often called the Johannine Community, emerged influentially in the mid-twentieth century, positing a group of Jewish followers of Jesus who experienced conflicts and eventual expulsion from local synagogues. This traditional model outlined the community's supposed historical evolution, theological distinctives, and internal conflicts. However, recent academic trends have vigorously challenged this reconstruction. Critics point to the inherent circularity of inferring the community's history solely from the texts and question key historical assumptions, such as the timing and application of certain Jewish liturgical curses used as external evidence, as well as the utility of reading the Gospel primarily as a historical reflection of the community's present struggles. Contemporary research presents a diverse range of perspectives. Some scholars completely reject the notion of a single, defined community, suggesting alternative models like literary fiction, pseudepigraphy, or a broad, non-sectarian "Johannine Situation." Others retain the community concept but modify it significantly, employing new socio-cognitive, sociolinguistic, or rhetorical methods to define it as a looser network, an imagined identity projected by the text, or a reading group focused on interpreting the writings. The ongoing discussion focuses intensely on whether the writings primarily reflect an existing historical context or are rhetorical tools designed to construct a new social identity and theological vision for their audience, especially concerning how Jewish and Gentile identities interact with allegiance to Christ. This debate remains an essential, unresolved topic in biblical scholarship.
0. The_Johannine_Community.mp4
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0. The Johnnine School History (Traditional)
0. The Logos, Abiding, and Johannine Mysticism (Traditional)
1. Decoding the World of John: A Johannine Community??
2. The Johannine Community in the Letters
4. A socio-Cognitive Approach to the Community
5. Triangulating a Johannine Community from John 18-19