Women And Men In The Fourth Gospel

The fourth gospel presents the reader with an early Christian text in which women and men are treated as “a discipleship of equals.” Margaret M. Beirne makes an argument for the existence in the gospel of six examples of “gender pairs” of characters (a widely-accepted Lukan feature). The members of each pair are portrayed in a parallel or contrasting faith encounter with the Johannine Jesus, that is of substantial theological importance to the gospel's stated purpose (John 20:31). Through close examination of these pairs, Beirne offers a reading of the Gospel which gives support to the equality of women and men with respect to the nature and value of their discipleship.

e fourth gospel presents the reader with an early christian text in which women and men are treated as "a discipleship of equals" as this term is broadly understood in the work of Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza but qualified with respect to her discussion of the meaning of 'equality' when applied to gender. Specifically, the gospel contains six examples of "gender pairs" of characters (a widely-accepted lukan feature). The members of each pair are portrayed in a parallel or contrasting faith encounter with the Johannine Jesus which is of substantial theological importance to the gospel's stated purpose (John 20:31). The six pairs are the mother of Jesus (2:1-11) and the royal official (4:46-54); nicodemus (3:1-12) and the samaritan woman (4:4-42); the man born blind (9:1-41) and Martha (11:1-54); Mary of Bethany and Judas (12:1-8); the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple (19:25-27); Mary Magdalene (20:11-18) and Thomas (20:24-29).

Using various narrative approaches and methodologies, an international team of forty-four Johannine scholars here offers probing essays related to individual characters and group characters in the Gospel of John. These essays present fresh perspectives on characters who play a major role in the Gospel (Peter, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, Thomas, and many others), but they also examine characters who have never before been the focus of narrative analysis (the men of the Samaritan woman, the boy with the loaves and fishes, Barabbas, and more). Taken together, the essays shed new light on how complex and nuanced many of these characters are, even as they stand in the shadow of Jesus. Readers of this volume will be challenged to consider the Gospel of John anew.

The second feminist volume volume on Johannine literature includes an Introduction by Amy-Jill Levine; Adele Reinhartz on Women in the Johannine Community: An Exercise in Historical Imagination; Satako Yamaguchi, 'I Am (I Do)' Sayings and Women in Context and Dorothy Lee, Abiding in the Fourth Gospel.Colleen Conway writes on Gender Matters in John; Adeline Fehribach on The Crucifixion in the Fourth Gospel: A Birthing Moment; Deborah Sawyer on Water and Blood: Birthing Images in John's Gospel; Harold Attridge on Don't Be Touching Me: Recent Feminist Scholarship on Mary Magdalene; and Jane Schaberg, Thinking Back through the Magdalene.

V. 2: ....studies...includes some that seek to locate the cumulative effect of all the stories concerning women, these lead to general suggestions concerning both the evangelist's view of gender and the role of women in the Johannine community. Also Christological language and theological categories in search for an alternative to the androcentrism and exclusivity theologians typically associate with the Fourth Gospel.Highlights of spcific scenes e.g. crucifixion; appearance to Mary Magdalene; ato interrogate the function of feminine imagery, the implications of particularly troublesome verses & the cultural appropriations of the narratives. .... (from back cover)