John 8:39-47: Children of Abraham or of the Devil?
1997; Duquesne University Press; Volume: 34; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2162-3937
Autores Tópico(s)Theology and Canon Law Studies
ResumoThe title of this essay asks most serious question. The issue has to do with treatment of Jewish people in Gospel of John. Even more importantly, this essay concerns itself with this passage as it has been understood by those familiar only with text but not context of this pericope. As will be seen, picture that arises is quite disturbing, more so even than many exegetes seem to realize. In this sense, essay sets out to examine and address directly what is significant stumbling block in current Jewish-Christian relations. The issue of negative treatment of the is found in many verses of John's Gospel, but nowhere is it seemingly more intractable and neuralgic than in Jn. 8 where entire Jewish nation appears to be demonized by Jesus himself. Consider following quotation from recent work by Geza Vermes: In John's account of life of Jesus, Jews are blood-thirsty gang who seek to kill Jesus from outset and do not desist until they have succeeded in their deadly plan. John's Christ, who had nothing in common with real Jesus, declares to his compatriots: You are of your father devil, and your will is to do your father's desire. He was murderer from beginning ... (John 8:44) Here is origin of Christian tendency to demonize source of all mediaeval and much modern religious anti-Judaism, which directly or indirectly led to Holocaust. Tragically, it took six million lives to persuade largest of Christian churches to annul charge of deicide leveled for so long against people of Jesus.(1) Also, consider this passage from George Smiga: The gospel of John has been notoriously associated with anti-Jewish polemic. The dramatic claims of this gospel together with its distinctive mode of expression conspire to give impression of straightforward attack upon Jewish people as whole. In John, Jesus does not struggle only with religious leaders or even with crowds. His opponents are routinely identified as the Jews. ...At turn of century Kaufmann Kohler could call John a gospel of Christian love and Jew hatred.(2) Thus, while Gospel of John has undoubtedly been source of tremendous theological insight into person of Jesus Christ (so much so that John's Christology had predominant importance in great creeds of church), it has also served as supposed justification for some of most heinous thoughts and actions perpetrated against Jewish people in past 2,000 years. The Roman Catholic Church annually issues monitum prior to celebration of Holy Week, advising all who participate in these ceremonies -- and especially those who celebrate Good Friday commemoration -- that proclamation and explanation of passion accounts (and of John's passion narrative in particular) are not to be used to justify Antisemitism in Church. Despite our having now come more than thirty years since publication on October 28, 1965, of Nostra aetate (Declaration on Relationship of Church to Non-Christian Religions) at Vatican II,(3) there remains long way to go in order to help Catholics (and Christians generally) come to an aggiornamento in terms of their comprehension of the Jews, especially in John's Gospel. This essay will not only consider text of Jn. 8:39-47 but will look further at its place within entire Gospel in terms both of theological issues it raises and of setting within lived experience of Johannine community and Jewish people toward end of first century C.E. The essay will offer some specific suggestions as to how this seemingly intractable pericope can be comprehended in manner that does justice to John, Johannine community, and early Judaism, as well as current Jewish-Christian relations. …
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