FALL 2023 REL 530 EXEGESIS: GOSPEL OF JOHN

Yii-Jan Lin Yale Divinity School

yii-jan.lin@yale.edu Mon 9:30-11:20am
Office S119 Meetings by appointment

Description
This course explores the themes, interpretive methods, and issues relevant to the study of the Gospel of
John through a careful analysis of the text (with option for Greek reading and interpretation) and a critical
reading of its modern interpreters.

Objectives
- To explore and be familiar with the major themes of the Gospel
- To engage scholarly discussion of the gospel, ranging from early Christian interpreters to modern
scholarship and with consideration to different methodologies
- To recognize the ancient texts and schools of thought relevant to the Gospel’s text and discourse
- To be familiar with the Gospel’s history of interpretation, particularly impacts of its problematic
contents

Requirements/Grade Distribution
- Attendance/Participation: Participation in class discussions with preparation of assignments and
readings. More than two unexcused absences will lower your course grade by one grade (H → H-).
More than three unexcused absences and the Deans of Student and Academic affairs will be notified
out of concern for your academic standing and well-being. You may receive no credit for the course
(10%).
- Commonplace Book: Worked on throughout the semester, a commonplace book is a notebook
(provided by instructor) into which you will copy parts of our reading (primary and secondary) that
struck you as moving, inspiring, angering, thought-provoking, etc., and then which you can add your
own annotations, drawings, colors, stickers, etc. See greater description below. To be turned in mid-
semester (10/23) and at the end (12/6) (30%).
- Presentation (possibly with partner(s)) of a theme or topic to the class. Guidelines will be available.
Starts 9/25 (30%).
- Final Project: This can be in the form of a 15-20 page academic paper, a podcast, a curated virtual art
gallery / exhibit, a video, or art piece but must show intentional, thorough engagement with readings
and discussions of the course toward a specific, well-argued/curated/pointed goal/answer. Guidelines
will be available. Due 12/13 (30%).

Policies
- Late work will be penalized one full grade (e.g. H→HP) for each day late unless due to serious
extenuating circumstances discussed with the instructor. Please refer to the YDS accessibility
resources and policies at the end of this document.
- Reading assignments must be completed by class time on the day they are listed for in the syllabus.

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- Plagiarism is not tolerated. Please respect your peers and yourself by submitting honest work. See
YDS policies on plagiarism at the end of this document.

Required Texts
- A modern translation of the entire Bible. Recommended: The HarperCollins Study Bible with the
Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (ed. W.A. Meeks, New Revised Standard Version).
- For those taking this as a Greek-based course, the Nestle-Aland 28th edition Novum Testamentum
Graece (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft)
- All other texts will be provided on the Canvas course site
- If you wish to consult a(n old school) commentary, recommendations are:
o Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John, 2 volumes, Anchor Bible
o Francis J. Moloney, Belief in the Word: John 1-4; Signs and Shadows: Reading John 5-
12;, Glory Not Dishonor: Reading John 13-21 (Minneapolis: Fortress Press)

Grading

The criteria for assigning grades are technical competence, care in handling primary and secondary sources,
learning, insight, and creativity

Honors Superb work that is original, insightful, well written, and well
prepared, demonstrating critical acumen.

Honors Minus Excellent work with only very minor need for improvement.

High Pass Plus Very good work. Demonstrates a good command

of material at introductory level.

High Pass Good work. A good start, with several areas for improvement.

High Pass Minus Adequate work but with significant need for improvement.

Low Pass Minimally acceptable work.

Fail Work that fails to demonstrate understanding of the material or

the assignment.

Credit/No Credit: Option available to all except those aspiring to future Ph.D. work in Biblical Studies.

Course Schedule

Date Themes, Readings, and In-Class

1: Introductions: Beginnings
9/11
John 1:1-19 – The Prologue

Choosing presentation topics & dates

Email me by Wed, Sept 13 with top three presentation choices
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2: Genre, Symbols, and Signs
9/18
John 1:19-51, John 2 – The Wedding at Cana, The Cleansing of the Temple

- Harold Attridge, “Genre Bending in the Fourth Gospel,” Journal of Biblical Literature 121 (2002): 3-
21

- Dorothy Lee, “Symbolism and ‘Signs’ in the Fourth Gospel,” in Judith M. Lieu and Martinus C. de
Boer, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies (Oxford: OUP, 2018), 259-273

- Wayne A. Meeks, “The Man from Heaven in Johannine Sectarianism,” JBL 91.1 (1972): 44-72

3: Born of the Spirit, Born from Above

9/25
John 3 Dialogue with Nicodemus

- Colleen M. Conway, “Speaking through Ambiguity: Minor Characters in the Fourth Gospel,”
Biblical Interpretation 10.3 (2002): 324-341

- Sung Uk Lim, “Reading the Otherness In-Between,” from idem, Otherness and Identity in the Gospel
of John (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), 43-69

- Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, “White Evangelicals, White Supremacy, and the ‘Born Again’ Identity
in a Post-Trump America: A Latino Reading of John 3:1-8,” Horizons in Biblical Theology 44 (2022):
88-111

Special Topic: The “Jews” and the Gospel of John

4: Living Water
10/2
John 4-5 Dialogue with the Woman at the Well, the Healing at the Pool of Bethzatha

- Stephen D. Moore, “Deconstructive Criticism: Derrida at the Samaritan Well and, Later, at the Foot
of the Cross,” 43-64 in Poststructuralism and the New Testament: Derrida and Foucault at the Foot
of the Cross (Fortress: 1994) Yale Online Resource

- Meredith J. C. Warren, “Five Husbands: Slut-Shaming the Samaritan Woman,” Bible and Critical
Theory 17 (2021): 51-69

- Sherri Brown, “Water Imagery and the Power and Presence of God in the Gospel of John,” Theology
Today 72 (2015): 289-98

- L. Jayachitra, “A Postcolonial Exploration of Water in the Fourth Gospel,” Bangalore Theological

Forum 37 (2005): 114-129 (compare with Brown’s article from last week)

Student Presentation: Alex Yoo, Significant Textual Variants in the Gospel of John

5: I am the Bread of Life

10/9
John 6 – The Bread of Life

- Jan Heilman, “A Meal in the Background of John 6:51-58?” JBL 137.2 (2018): 481-500 (focus on
early Christian contexts)
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 - Susan E. Hylen, “See Jesus John’s Way: Manna from Heaven,” Word & World 33.4 (2013): 341-348
(focus on theology)

- Tucker S. Ferda, “Crowds, Bread and Fame: John 6.1-16 and History,” Journal for the Study of the
New Testament 42 (2019): 139-161 (focus on historicity)

Student Presentation: Wil Charles, Gospel of John and Qumran/DSS

10/16 NO CLASS - READING PERIOD

6: Opposition from Family, Opposition in Judea

10/23
John 7 & 8 Division, Unbelief, and the Pericope Adulterae

- Francis . Moloney, “Jesus and Tabernacles, 1: John 7:1-8:59,” from idem, Signs and Shadows:
Reading John 5-12 (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), 65-116

- Jennifer Knust and Tommy Wasserman, “Introduction: Loose Texts, Loose Women,” 1-12 in To
Cast the First Stone: The Transmission of a Gospel Story (Princeton: 2018). Yale Internet Resource.
Let the introduction guide you to reading an additional chapter of the book. Jot down some questions
for Professor Knust.

Guest: Jennifer Knust, Professor of Religious Studies, Duke

Student Presentation: Hannah Garza, the Transmission of the Gospel of John

7: Blindness and the Shepherd
10/30
John 9 & 10 – the Man Born Blind, and the Good Shepherd

- Carol Marie Webster, “Paradox in the Development of the Non-Disabled Church: Reflection on John
9:1-41,” Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 11.3 (2007): 23-49

- Harold Attridge, “The Cubist Principle in Johannine Imagery: John and the Readings of Images in
Contemporary Platonism,” 47-60 in Jörg Frey, Jan G. van der Watt, Ruben Zimmerman, eds., Imagery
in the Gospel of John: Terms, Forms, Themes and Theology of Figurative Language (WUNT, Mohr-
Siebeck, 2006).

Student Presentation: Alyssa Zimmer, Healing, Disability, and the Gospel of John

8: Resurrection and Life

11/6
John 11 – the Resurrection of Lazarus

- Francis J. Moloney, “A Resurrection That Will Lead to Death: John 11:1-54,” from Signs and
Shadows, 154-177

- Elizabeth Schrader, “Was Martha of Bethany Added to the Fourth Gospel in the Second Century?”
HTR 110 (2017): 360-392

- Elizabeth Schrader and Joan E. Taylor, “The Meaning of ‘Magdalene’: A Review of Literary
Evidence,” JBL 140.4 (2021): 751-773

Guest: Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, Assistant Professor of NT, Villanova

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 Student Presentation: John Markowski, Lazarus and Film

9: A Final Meal
11/13
John 13-15: Footwashing and the Farewell Discourse

- Harold Attridge, “Plato, Plutarch, and John: Three Symposia about Love,” 367-78 in Edward
Iricinschi, et al., eds., Beyond the Gnostic Gospels: Studies Building on the Work of Elaine Pagels
(STAC 82, Mohr Siebeck, 2013)

- Nina Müller van Velden, “When Gender Performance Is Not Straightforward: Feet, Masculinity and
Power in John 13:1-11,” Neotestimentica 53 (2019): 291-309

Guest: Harold Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity, Emeritus, Yale

Special Topic: Footwashing

11/20 THANKSGIVING BREAK

10: A Final Prayer

11/27
John 16-17: Farewell Discourse and High Priestly Prayer

- Harold Attridge, “How Priestly is the High Priestly Prayer,” CBQ 75 (2013) 1-15

- Christopher W. Skinner, “Love One Another: The Johannine Love Command in the Farewell
Discourse,” 25-42 in Christopher W. Brown and Sherri Brown, eds., Johannine Ethics (Fortress:
2017)

- Ruben Zimmerman, “Eschatology and Time in the Gospel of John,” Oxford Handbook of Johannine
Studies, 292-310

Guest: Christopher Skinner, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Loyola
University Chicago

Special Topic: The Beloved Disciple

11: Suffering and Death

12/4
John 18-19: the Passion

- Jean Zumstein, “The Purpose of the Ministry and Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John,” 331-46 in
Judith Lieu and Martinus de Boer, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies (Oxford: 2018)

- Tat-siong Benny Liew, “The Gospel of Bare Life: Reading Death, Dream, and Desire through John’s
Jesus,” 129-170 in Tat-siong Benny Liew and Erin Runion, eds., Psychoanalytic Mediations between
Marxist and Postcolonial Reading of the Bible (SBL: 2016)

Special Topic: Pilate

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 12: Resurrection and Beyond
12/6
John 20-21: Jesus’ Resurrection and on the Shore

- Maja Whitaker, “The Wounds of the Risen Christ: Evidence for the Retention of Disabling
Condition in the Resurrection Body,” Journal of Disability and Religion 26 (2022): 280-293

- Melissa Florer-Bixler, “Jesus’ Resurrected Gut Biome,” Christian Century, 140 (2023): 38-39

- Sherri Brown, “What’s in an Ending? John 21 and the Performative Force of an Epilogue,”
Perspectives in Religious Studies 42 (2015): 29-42

Student Presentation: Kayla Becknuss, Noli me tangere – Mary Magdalene and Jesus in the garden

YDS Policies

1. Integrity of Work: The learning environment at YDS is intended to be one of trust. Students are
expected to adhere to academic conduct that honors this trust and respects the integrity of the academic
community.

• All written work must be the student’s own original work, except as consultation or
collaboration or use of other resources is authorized by the instructor.
• All material quoted or paraphrased from other sources must be fully identified, including, where
relevant, both secondary and original sources. (Refer to Chapter VIII of the Student
Handbook, “Learning and Planning Resources,” supplied to all entering students.)
• Similar written material may be submitted in more than one course only with the advance
approval of all instructors involved. A student may not submit work that he or she has published
elsewhere, whether in print or via an electronic forum such as a Web page, article, or blog,
except in consultation with the instructor.

Plagiarism, whether intentional or inadvertent, is regarded as a serious offense and is subject to severe
penalties. Cases of plagiarism, together with full documentation of the offense, may be referred to the
Professional Studies Committee, which will conduct an investigation of the charges. As part of this
investigation, the accused student will be invited to appear before the committee.

Suspected violations of academic integrity should be reported to the senior associate dean of academic
affairs.

The use of inclusive language is a matter of concern to the YDS community. Guidelines for gender
inclusive and racially inclusive language are available to faculty and students.

2. Examinations, Extensions, and ESL Students: examinations, at hours other than those regularly
scheduled, will be given only under extraordinary circumstances. Except in the case of unforeseen
emergencies, the request for a special examination must be submitted two weeks before the date of the
regular examination. At the discretion of the instructor, students who are non-native speakers of English
may be granted additional time, to a maximum of time-and-a-half, to complete written examinations.

3. Yale’s Student Accessibility Services facilitates individual accommodations for students with
disabilities; students should therefore contact that office at the start of the term in order to register with

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that office, obtain testing and/or obtain appropriate accommodations. Faculty members are provided with
a confidential Letter of Accommodation authorizing accommodations for particular students. Faculty
members are expected to provide the accommodation(s) indicated but are not required to alter the
essential elements of the course requirements.

4. Use of Artificial Intelligence: Please do not use ChatGPT or other AI text generators for this course
unless as an experiment that you explicitly describe and conduct for your presentation or final project that
you then discuss and write up using your own writing without the aid of AI.

5. Help with Writing: Patricia Trainor is the Writing Specialist for the Divinity School. She is a staff
member with the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning with special responsibility for supporting
Divinity students. She will be offering workshops as well as one-on-one consultations with students. An
overview of Poorvu Center resources for Divinity students is available here.

6. Difficult Times: We all go through difficult times, sometimes unbearable times. Please don’t suffer
alone or try to gut it out trying to get work done. Please reach out to me and also the Office of Student
Affairs and Associate Dean Vicki Flippin as you feel comfortable. Nothing in this syllabus is as
important as being safe and healthy.