Abstract

The portrayal of the Jews in John’s gospel has been one of the most controversial subjects in biblical studies since the events of World War II, which prompted the church to seriously examine its texts and doctrines for their potential to contribute to anti-Semitism. The Fourth Gospel has been crucial in establishing essential Christian theology and its influence within the church and in broader Western Civilization should not be underestimated. The aim of this thesis is to analyze John’s anti-Jewish problem using a synergistic approach that blends historical and narrative-critical research to present a conclusion that respects the text’s genre and purpose. Scholars have rightly proposed that the gospel writers were presenting their unique views of Jesus using literary devices and larger narratives that sway their readers toward their perspective of who he was and why he died. Concurrently, the history of the Johannine community that lies behind the words of their gospel helps to support a narrative-critical reading and provides valuable insights into John’s harsh treatment of the Jews. The application of this methodology follows the author’s intended course of rhetorical argumentation and frames it within the context of an early Jewish-Christian conflict that sparked the anti-Jewish polemic that finds harsh expression in the gospel. The research put forward in this thesis finds that the Jews’ damning characterization and the author’s supersessionistic Christology cannot be limited to the gospel’s late first-century context, but have universal, long-term ramifications that ought to be addressed by the church.