“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10): An Ecological Reading of John’s Gospel

Abstract

In the synoptic gospels Jesus proclaims the imminence of the Kingdom of God but in John’s Gospel Jesus is concerned with the gift of eternal life. Interpretations of John’s Gospel have emphasised the relationship between salvation and an individual’s faith in Jesus. Several passages feature accounts of the meeting of Jesus and characters who come to faith in him such as the Samaritan woman, the blind man, Martha, and Thomas. The focus on the faith of individuals and their desire for eternal life has downplayed the importance of the natural world. An ecological strategy of identification, however, illustrates the ways in which Jesus is aligned with Earth. He offers the Samaritan woman living water, and he identifies himself as the bread of life (6:35), the light of the world (8:12), and the true vine (15:1). This strategy of identification highlights images of fruitfulness and abundant harvests. This approach, moreover, emphasises the presence of God in the processes of nature, and the gift of eternal life is described in terms of the abundance of the natural world. An ecological interpretation of John’s Gospel challenges the view that salvation may be defined purely in terms of the gift of eternal life to an individual, and points to an understanding of salvation as the restoration of the relationship of God, humanity, and Earth.