Johannine Literature

In this course, we are diving into a body of material connected to the Apostle John. This collection includes the Gospel of John, the Johannine Letters (1, 2, 3 John), and the Book of Revelation. Fuelled by the moving goalposts in the hermeneutical endeavour, Johannine scholarship has undergone significant changes and developments over the last century and a half. These changes in approach have, to a large extend, influenced and determined the theology discerned from the gospel, letters, and apocalypse. In this course, we will look into the effects of different hermeneutical trends on the study of the Gospel of John. You will also sharpen your exegetical skills by delving into a difficult passage in one of the Johannine letters or Revelation, and further your ability to critically engage scholarship on the topic by reading extensively. Finally, you will be exposed to one of the primary sites of engagement in the academic guild, namely the academic conference.  

ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε! (John 1:46)

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Articulate an appropriate and faithful hermeneutic for the Gospel of John in light of historical and current developments in the field

• Write a scholarly essay about an interpretive issue in one of John’s Letters or Revelation.

• Review the academic work of your peers against evangelical and scholarly standards.

• Demonstrate mastery of Johannine material read and written in the context of an academic conference.