Friendship in the Graeco-Roman world took a wide variety of forms,
with some 'friendships' involving nothing more than a political
alliance or patron-client relationship and others involving deep
personal intimacy. When Jesus says his disciples are to be called
'friends', what type of friendship does he have in mind?Friendship
may seem a relatively insignificant motif in the Gospel of John,
since the author does not explicitly set out to provide a
philosophical discourse on the nature of friendship, nor does he
explicitly state that the narrative is about friendship. In this
study, however, Culy, having carefully examined Graeco-Roman
literature on friendship, demonstrates that the language of what he
calls 'ideal friendship' actually pervades the Fourth Gospel from
beginning to end and serves as a primary vehicle for characterizing
the relationships that are introduced in the Prologue and fleshed
out throughout the course of the narrative.Taking up the friendship
motif as a tool of characterization, the Gospel of John points to a
striking implication of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus:
that followers of Jesus are invited to enjoy a level of intimacy
with him that can actually, and perhaps only, be compared to the
level of intimacy that he enjoys with the Father. The Johannine
Jesus, then, came not just to save the world but also to offer
those who would follow him a relationship that Graeco-Roman
philosophers only dreamed of, a relationship where all the
ingredients of ideal friendship were present.
General
Imprint: |
Sheffield Phoenix Press
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
New Testament Monographs, 30 |
Release date: |
October 2010 |
First published: |
October 2010 |
Authors: |
Martin M Culy
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 14mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Laminated cover
|
Pages: |
240 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-907534-10-2 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-907534-10-5 |
Barcode: |
9781907534102 |
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