The following videos introduce the Gospel of John, focusing first on a comparison of this gospel with the Synoptics, and then with the structure and symbolism within the fourth gospel. The high Christology of this gospel is distinctive, and represents the beginning of a trajectory that would end in the gnostic views of Christ, which were judged to lie outside the bounds of emerging orthodoxy. Several of the videos trace the development of early Christology and the themes of the "heretical" texts so that you can examine how John is both like and unlike them.
The nine numbered videos are the most important material, corresponding to the slides. While you don't have to watch them, they may help you prepare for class or fill in gaps after. Below the numbered videos, you will find some additional videos and links, including an introduction to Exercise #5, Using the ATLA Religion + Database.
Use the links to the right to access pdf files of the slides shown in the videos. Two formats are available: 1 slide per page and three slides per page. Both versions have slides for all of the videos.
The videos below are thumbnails; to enlarge the view, click the play button and select at the bottom of the frame either "YouTube" (to watch the video on YouTube, which in some cases will be clearer) or the full-screen icon ().
1
A Comparison of John & the Synoptics
This video traces some of the differences of structure, detail and emphasis between John's gospel and the synoptic tradition, even allowing for some intriguing similarities between John and Mark. It introduces the unique signs source, or semeia quelle, behind John's gospel.
11.23
2
Structure, Signs & Symbolism in John
This video introduces the structure of the Gospel of John, focusing on the first half of the gospel—the Prologue and the "Book of Signs" (John 1:1–12:50). John's technique of signaling themes central to the gospel in his Prologue, and then layering these themes in the signs and discourses that follow, is explored as a narrative technique that builds to the revelation of the true nature of the Word made flesh—an identity that will be made manifest in the glorification of the cross.
18.31
3
The Book of Glory
This video explores the Book of Glory in John's Gospel, probing how specific passages echo the themes that John introduced in the prologue and developed in the seven signs of the first half of the gospel. Special attention is paid to the resonance of the first of those signs—the turning of water to wine at Cana—with unique features of John's crucifixion scene.
15.53
4
Context & Christology in John's Gospel
This video takes the themes we identified in the Book of Signs and Book and Glory and imagines the pastoral context and issues that might have given rise to these emphases. It then explores the somewhat unique Christology of John's gospel, noting characteristic titles John uses for Jesus and Jesus' habit of speaking of his own identify in "I am" sayings.
13.15
5
Christologies in the Early Church
This video traces a spectrum of early Christian beliefs in who Christ was—a topic we call "Christology." It defines the two ends of that spectrum as "low" and "high" Christology, and offers examples of early Christian beliefs at both ends, placing the canonical gospels and a few other gospels along that spectrum. It discusses the fact that John's gospel demonstrates such a high Christology that it almost didn't make it into the canon when those discussions occurred in the second century, but demonstrates in a brief comparison of John and the gnostic Gospel of Thomas why John's Christology was judged more orthodox.
10.39
6
Manuscript Discoveries
This video introduces the major manuscript discoveries of the 20th century, offering an example from the Dead Sea Scrolls of how the evidence goes from discovery to publication. It describes how the New Testament books circulated for most of western history, before the invention of the printing press, and introduces the four major early manuscripts of the Bible.
16.32
7
The Canon & the Apocrypha
This video defines the terms "canon" and "apocrypha," and explains why, when, and by what criteria the Church settled on its official list. It explores how the decision to limit the official canon to four gospels was the product of theological debates over the nature of Christ and decisions about what teachings were true, early and edifying.
14.24
8
Gnostic Gospels & Theological Themes
This video introduces the great manuscript discoveries of the last 120 years that revealed the literature of the various gnostic groups. It explores some of the central issues at stake in gnostic traditions, and explains how these are adaptations of the same neoplatonic philosophical concepts that the orthodox church embraced.
14.14
9
Themes in Two Gnostic Gospels
This video excerpts passages from the gnostic Gospel of Judas and Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) to see how the gnostic themes introduced in the prior video found expression in narrative form.
13.42
Introduction to Exercise #5
Using the ATLA Religion Database - This video shows you how to use the electronic database ATLA Religion + to expand your working bibliography for your exegetical research paper.
11.27
Optional Videos & Links
Manuscript Evidence for John - This video introduces the manuscript evidence for the Gospel of John, with an emphasis on our earliest manuscripts.
5.29
Mary Magdalene in Christian Tradition - Dan Brown's 2004 novel, The Da Vinci Code, used the gnostic texts to argue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. How does this idea stand up to the other portraits of Mary Magdalene in Christian tradition?
12.09
Other Apocryphal Gospels - This video introduces some of the apocryphal gospels, including the Gospel of Peter, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and the most significant text of them all, the Infancy Gospel of James, which is the earliest written source we have for the tradition of Mary's immaculate conception and perpetual virginity.
The following videos introduce the Gospel of John, focusing first on a comparison of this gospel with the Synoptics, and then with the structure and symbolism within the fourth gospel. The high Christology of this gospel is distinctive, and represents the beginning of a trajectory that would end in the gnostic views of Christ, which were judged to lie outside the bounds of emerging orthodoxy. Several of the videos trace the development of early Christology and the themes of the "heretical" texts so that you can examine how John is both like and unlike them.
).
