GENRE PAPER
PRESENTED TO
DR. ANDERSON
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
RLGN 4314
BY
JJ LITTLE
ANCHORAGE, AK
SEP 6, 2016
It is clear that the lives of the authors of the Gospels and humankind in general were changed by Jesus of Nazareth. The fact that He was both human and Devine and thus a miracle are reinforced by those that have, and continue to experience redemption and salvation through His action at Calvary. The Gospel of John breaks to the front of the synoptic pack through “narratives and dialogue in an odd sort of way via a selection of deeds of Jesus”1from a historical, biographical and perhaps most importantly a theological bend; as articles of faith. At first glance, a Gospel would …show more content…
It is through this distinct nature that John conveys Jesus’s divine presence, and for the purposes of this paper, the first miracle story at Cana with God’s presence in Jesus6. In this first miracle that we see God’s character and essence as the creator through his Son which John captures is his narrative about …show more content…
Here I would argue that the genre of John as a whole and certainly that of the second chapter has a theological relevance across time, not solely because of the biographical narrative of Christ nor the historical influence but of the theological proclamation the text imparts within the story and subsequent miracle at Cana. In comparison of the historical, biographical, and theological waveforms it is important to look closely through the Jewish matrix which gave rise to the Church itself9. For to appreciate the Gospels accurately we need to read them as testimonies of faith10. A faith that has a historical impact through a biographical understanding that leads ultimately to a theological truth.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Attridge, Harold W. "Genre bending in the Fourth Gospel." Journal Of Biblical Literature 121, no. 1 (2002 2002): 3-21. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost
Franke, William. "Gospel as personal knowing: theological reflections on not just a literary genre." Theology Today 68, no. 4 (January 2012): 413-423. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost
Talbert, Charles H. "Once again: gospel genre." Semeia 43, (1988 1988): 53-73. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost
Thatcher, Tom. "The Gospel Genre: What Are We After?."