The present realization of eschatological salvation in the fourth gospel

Abstract

This chapter discusses the real nature of the problem of Johannine eschatology. On the basis of both terminological and conceptual similarities, the Fourth Gospel, the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch and the Odes of Solomon are considered to reflect a and religious background within the context of early Christianity. The chapter constructs a profile of the religious character of the Johannine community in terms of its values, needs and aspirations. The construction of this profile is based on the presupposition that the Johannine Jesus was not only the product of memory coupled with traditional Christological modes of conceptualizing the soteriological significance of Jesus, but also the product of the retrojection of the religious needs, values and aspirations of the Johannine community back into the life of the historical Jesus. The chapter discusses the major ways in which the present actualization of eschatological salvation was conceptualized by the community.Keywords: eschatological salvation; Fourth Gospel; Johannine community; Johannine Jesus