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The Johannine Prologue and Jewish Didactic Hymn Traditions: A New Case for Reading the Prologue as a Hymn.

Presents literary criticism with an analysis of the prologue passage of the New Testament Gospel of John, asserting that it is an example of early Christian didactic hymnody. Details are given identifying and classifying the features of pre-Christian didactic hymn-writing and asserting that the Gosp...

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Published in:Journal of Biblical Literature Vol. 128; no. 4; pp. 781 - 803
Main Author: Gordley, Matthew
Format: Literary Criticism
Published: Society of Biblical Literature Winter2009
Subjects:
Gospel of John criticism & interpretation
Prologues & epilogues
Boyarin, Daniel
Greek didactic literature
History of hymns
Ancient (Literary period)
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:Presents literary criticism with an analysis of the prologue passage of the New Testament Gospel of John, asserting that it is an example of early Christian didactic hymnody. Details are given identifying and classifying the features of pre-Christian didactic hymn-writing and asserting that the Gospel of John fits within that framework. Challenges to the author's view by the religious scholar Daniel Boyarin are outlined and addressed in turn.