The question of when and how the Jesus movement became a separate and distinct set of institutions, communities, beliefs, and practices is perhaps the most contentious issue in the study of early Christianity. A key text in this debate is the Gospel of John. This essay argues that, contrary to the views of many scholars, the Gospel does not provide evidence that "the synagogue" expelled Jewish-Christians in the latter part of the first century CE. The Gospel does, however construct a rhetorical "parting of the ways" through a two-part program that includes a rhetoric of affiliation - strategies that encourage the Gospel's audience to believe in Jesus as the messiah and son of God and to join with others who so believe - and a rhetoric of disaffiliation - strategies that encourage the Gospel's audience to separate and stay away from non-believers, whom the Gospel labels ioudaioi. Although it is not possible to conclude that this rhetorical "parting" reflected or corresponded to a historical "parting", it is noteworthy that by the end of the first century there is at least one Christ-confessing text that envisions a mode of Christian self-identification outside of and separate from Judaism.

Enthalten in:
Evangelische Theologie; 2020/6 Zweimonatsschrift (2020)

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Serie / Reihe: Evangelische Theologie

Personen: Reinhartz, Adele

Schlagwörter: Christentum Religionsgeschichte Christentum-Judentum-Beziehung Bibel. Johannesevangelium