Jesus and the Ioudaioi: Reading Johns Gospel with Jewish People in Mind

Johns Gospel is a particularly difficult text for Jewish-Christian relations. It has been described as both deeply embedded in the Judaism of its day whilst simultaneously giving the strongest sense of separation between Judaism and Christianity. Arguably the most problematic verse is John 8:44, where Jesus tells the Jews that they are of their father, the devil. This verse, as well as other parts of the Fourth Gospel, have been used to justify anti-Semitism for centuries. Cognisant of this shameful history, how should Christians read Johns Gospel with the Ioudaioi (Jewish people) in mind? After reviewing the history of separation and problematic relationships between Christians and Jews down the centuries, Jesus and the Ioudaioi introduces theories of the audience of the Gospel, and surveys interpretative strategies proposed by Jewish scholars of the New Testament, while providing model exegesis for Christians who want to remain true to their faith while being aware of the difficulties this poses for positive relationships between Christians and Jewish people. See more