The Judaean Poor and the Fourth Gospel

A reassessment of the ideology behind John's Gospel, as rooted in first-century Judaean asceticism.

Timothy J. M. Ling (Author)

9780521857222, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 August 2006

264 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

'In this excellent monograph … Ling challenges and critiques social-scientific investigations of the New Testament.' Anvil

Judaean society in the first century did not conform to the stereotypical 'Mediterranean honour culture', in that it lacked a significant gentile population and was dominated by a powerful religious elite. Timothy Ling argues that this demands a new social-scientific approach to the Gospel and Letters of John that moves away from the accepted 'sectarian' interpretation. He attributes their distinctiveness instead to their roots in Jesus' Judaean ministry, as contrasted with the Galilean ministry that has attracted much recent study. In particular, Ling contends that the numerous references to 'the poor' in the New Testament can be better understood in the context of the 'alternative' ideologies found among pietistic religious groups practising asceticism, renunciation, and other forms of 'virtuoso religion' in first-century Judaea. In doing so, he mounts a convincing challenge to the current dominant reading of the Gospel of John as a product of early Christian sectarianism.

1. Introduction
2. The New Testament world
3. Judaea and 'virtuoso religion'
4. The Judaean 'poor'
5. John's social world
6. Conclusions.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]