Spirituality in John’s Gospel: Historical Developments and Critical Foundations

By Gabriel-Mary Fiore CSJ

The Fourth Gospel has been known as the "spiritual gospel" since the second century, but only recently have biblical scholars attempted to express the unique spirituality found in that sacred text. Surprisingly, no consensus has emerged even after a century of research. Thus, while John's Gospel is widely admired as a vibrant source of Christian piety, the distinct features of its spirituality remain unclear.

Fr. Fiore addresses this problem from the fresh perspective of spiritual theology. Capitalizing on a century of Johannine biblical scholarship, he uses the interdisciplinary methods of spiritual theology to bring new data to the study of the Gospel and solutions to many lingering questions:

How did ancient readers understand what scholars now refer to as the Gospel's spirituality? How does that ecclesial reading compare to the analysis of modern critical exegesis? What makes Johannine spirituality special among other forms of Christian piety? How does the question of the Gospel's authorship impact our understanding of its spirituality? Does the Gospel contain what we now call "mysticism"? In what ways is John's spirituality still relevant for Christians today?

Students of Christian spirituality and Johannine exegesis alike will find here stimulating historical and theological analysis of the Gospel's spirituality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Release date: Nov 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9781666771244

Gabriel-Mary Fiore CSJ

Fr. Gabriel-Mary Fiore, CSJ is a Catholic priest and assistant professor of theology at the Angelicum University. He teaches Christian spirituality in Rome and for other institutes of religious formation in Europe, America, and Asia, including graduate-level courses on the desert and church fathers, on spiritual growth and afflictions, and on the spirituality of John’s Gospel.

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Spirituality in John’s Gospel

Historical Developments and Critical Foundations

Gabriel-Mary Fiore

Spirituality in John’s Gospel

Historical Developments and Critical Foundations

Copyright ©

2023

Gabriel-Mary Fiore. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

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paperback isbn: 978-1-6667-7122-0

hardcover isbn: 978-1-6667-7123-7

ebook isbn: 978-1-6667-7124-4

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Names: Fiore, Gabriel-Mary [author].

Title: Spirituality in John’s Gospel : historical developments and critical foundations / by Gabriel-Mary Fiore.

Description: Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications,

2023

| Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers:

isbn 978-1-6667-7122-0 (

paperback

) | isbn 978-1-6667-7123-7 (

hardcover

) | isbn 978-1-6667-7124-4 (

ebook

)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible.—John—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Spirituality—Biblical teaching. | Mysticism.

Classification:

BS2615.6 F56 2023 (

print

) | BS2615.6 (

ebook

)

11/27/23

All English-language biblical citations, with the exception of those contained in quoted material by other authors, are taken from The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright ©

1965

,

1966

The Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Photo design by Marion Le Bec.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

Context

Guiding Question

Potential Benefits

Thesis and Object of Study

Methodology

Overview of Chapters

Sources and Parameters

Knowing the Vine by Its Fruits

I. Johannine Spirituality according to Ancient Readers

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Spirituality in Historical Johannine Studies

1.3 Second-Century Origins of Johannine Spirituality

1.4 Clement of Alexandria

1.5 Origen of Alexandria

1.6 John Chrysostom

1.7 Jerome

1.8 Augustine of Hippo

1.9 John Scotus Eriugena

1.10 Thomas Aquinas

1.11 Women Mystics of the Late Middle Ages

1.12 Conclusions: Johannine Spirituality for Ancient Readers

1.13 Chapter Summary and Contributions

II. The Spirituality of John’s Gospel according to Modern Scholars

2.1 Critical Review of Scholarly Literature (Twentieth to Twenty-First c.)

2.2 Donatien Mollat’s Saint Jean, Maître Spirituel

2.3 The Johannine Spirituality of Hans Urs von Balthasar

2.4 Dorothy Lee’s Hallowed in Truth and Love

2.5 Synthesis: The Spirituality of John’s Gospel according to Modern Scholars

2.6 Chapter Summary and Contributions

III. Clarifying the Notion of Spirituality and Its Application to John’s Gospel

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Historical Understanding of the Term Spirituality

3.3 Notion and Types of Christian Spirituality

3.4 Application of Christian Spirituality to the Fourth Gospel and Its Author

3.5 Synthesis: Johannine Spirituality as Charism, Doctrine, and Tradition

3.6 Chapter Summary and Contributions

IV. Johannine Identity and Its Consequences for Spirituality

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Question of Johannine Identity as a Challenge for Spirituality

4.3 Understanding Theories of Johannine Identity and Authorship

4.4 Examining Theories of Johannine Identity and Authorship

4.5 Conclusions

4.6 Chapter Summary and Contributions

V. Mysticism as a Core Element of Johannine Spirituality

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Mysticism in John’s Gospel according to Biblical and Historical Scholarship

5.3 Clarifying the Notion of Mysticism and Its Attribution to John’s Gospel

5.4 Mystical Experiences in John’s Gospel

5.5 Saintly Exegesis: Mystical Doctrines Derived from a Johannine Text (Jn 14:23)

5.6 Chapter Summary and Contributions

General Conclusions

Confirmation of Thesis

A Portrait of the Gospel’s Spirituality in Five Brush Strokes

Broader Significance and Avenues for Further Research

Mapping the Vine: Call for a Comprehensive History of Johannine Spirituality

Appendix 1: Potential Dangers for a Johannine Spirituality

1. Features of the Johannine Writings Susceptible to Dangerous Applications

2. Excursus: Is Gnosticism a Danger for Johannine Spirituality?29

3. Historical Examples of Deviant Johannine Spiritualities

4. Conclusion: Recommendations for a Healthy Johannine Spirituality

Appendix 2: Johannine Spirituality as Reflected in Catholic Liturgy and Magisterium

Saint John, Apostle of the Incarnate Word

Saint John, the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

Saint John, Contemplative Theologian of the Mysteries of God

Saint John, Brother and Witness to Hope in Times of Trial

Saint John, a Model of Marian Piety

Saint John, a Model of Consecrated Life

Saint John, a Model and Guide for Christian Youth

Saint John, a Source for Priestly Spirituality

Appendix 3: Thematic Studies in Johannine Spirituality

Discipleship: A Committed Lifestyle of Learning and Growth

Ethics: The Moral Demands of Following Christ in John’s Gospel

Friendship: John’s Teaching on Reciprocal Love with Christ

Abiding: Remaining in Christ and God’s Dwelling Within

Community: Sharing Faith and Love in Ecclesial Communion

Prayer: John’s Teachings on Worship and Conversation with God

The Spiritual Senses: Faith and Experience in John’s Gospel

Bibliography

Preface

For nearly two thousand years, John’s Gospel has fascinated readers with its profound theology and spirituality, earning it the enduring title of the spiritual gospel. However, it was not until recently that the critical question arose as to what constitutes that unique spirituality. In the early twentieth century, when scholars began to compare different spiritual schools within Christianity and to trace the historical development of Christian spirituality, they naturally began to inquire about the specific forms of spirituality found in the New Testament sources, including John’s Gospel. Since then, biblical scholars have proposed different portraits of John’s spirituality as well as studies of singular themes associated with it. These works are certainly helpful, but the vast array of themes presented as belonging to the Gospel’s spirituality can at times be bewildering. In addition, little effort has been made to compare these scholarly portraits of the Gospel’s spirituality with the way that spirituality has been interpreted and lived by Christians in past centuries. Thus, while John’s Gospel is widely admired as a vibrant source of Christian piety, even after a century of scholarly inquiry, the distinctive features of its spirituality remain somewhat unclear. The present research aims to address this problem.

Originally, I intended to study a particular theme of the Gospel—abiding—that would allow me to trace its impact on the later mystical tradition. But as I began to do background reading on Johannine spirituality, I discovered that many critical and historical questions needed to be clarified first: Does this Gospel have its own spirituality? Which passages belong to or express that spirituality? What is the difference between the Gospel’s theology and spirituality? What is spirituality anyway? Is John’s spirituality mystical? Is the mysterious figure of the beloved disciple the source of the Gospel’s spirituality? Should the uncertainty surrounding his identity affect the way believers understand or live out this spirituality?

Reading studies on the subject, I observed a wide disparity among accounts of the Gospel’s spirituality and found that many biblical scholars were uncomfortable or ill-equipped to answer the questions just enumerated. I also noticed that research on Johannine spirituality had been almost exclusively carried out by biblical exegetes who naturally focus on the sacred text but not on the religious experience reflected in the text nor on the life of piety later inspired by the text, as a spiritual theologian would. Thus, a hypothesis began to crystallize: What if the subject were approached in a different way? What if the literature on John’s spirituality were analyzed from a perspective of spiritual theology? Perhaps, then, some lingering issues could be resolved, with new data, like the Gospel’s ecclesial reception, complementing the work already done.

At a more personal level, I belong to a religious institute under the patronage of Saint John. The death of our historical founder in 2006 and subsequent revelations of his abusive conduct provoked a new quest for our identity, i.e., how to understand the Johannine charism and to live it in a healthy way. Since then, I’ve witnessed my religious brothers struggle to answer at a practical level the same question that has occupied scholars at a theoretical level—what exactly is Johannine spirituality? As I was drafting my research proposal, an authority from the Holy See encouraged my community to receive John anew through the living tradition of the Church.¹ That invitation confirmed the value of the work I wanted to do, to respond not only to a lacuna in the academic field but also to a vital need of my own institute and a call from the church.

The following study provides a systematic framework for a theological understanding of the spirituality found in John’s Gospel. It is a lightly revised version of my doctoral dissertation defended in May 2022 at the Angelicum University in Rome. It possesses the typical features of that literary genre: an emphasis on methodology, summaries of prior research, the reiteration of arguments, etc. As such, the text will appeal primarily to researchers and students in the fields of Johannine studies and Christian spirituality. Still, the work should also be of interest to a wider audience of those fascinated by John’s Gospel and its enduring spirituality, who seek a more systematic and historically informed presentation than what can be found in popular works on the subject. This book walks the reader through the sprawling vine of the Johannine tradition, both in its early historical development and in its contemporary expressions. While non-academic readers may wish to skip over summaries of recent scholarship (1.2, 2.1–4, 5.2), those sections could also be welcomed as a sort of guided tour to Johannine spirituality as it has been understood over the ages. Those discussions may provide enthusiasts with ideas for follow-up reading suited to their interests.

Overall, the questions addressed in this book are little different from those asked by admirers of John even outside the academy: How have past Christians meditated on and lived the Gospel’s spirituality (ch. 1)? How is it understood today (ch. 2)? Is Johannine spirituality rooted in the personal experience of the evangelist, and how is it different from other forms of Christian piety (ch. 3)? What are believers to make of the questions regarding the evangelist’s identity—how do these questions shape the way that spirituality is understood (ch. 4)? Does the Gospel’s spirituality reflect or promise what we now call mysticism (ch. 5)? Isn’t it dangerous to focalize on the spirituality of one book from the sacred canon (app.1)? In what ways is John’s spirituality still relevant for the Christian faithful of today (app.2)? What are some of the major themes of the Gospel’s spirituality that are still the object of new research (app. 3)? Clear answers to these questions are needed for the Gospel’s spirituality to remain accessible for reflective readers. It is my hope that this book will not only contribute to the scholarly discussion of the Gospel’s spirituality, but also render it more intelligible to a wider audience.

Doctoral research is a long labor of love that requires determination and the support of many friends hidden behind the final draft. I would like to thank first my religious brothers for the opportunity to undertake this work and bring it to completion. The prayers, services, and encouragement of my local priory in Rome were indispensable for sustaining a weary student. The wider community of my brethren often sheltered me from other pressing duties needed for our current efforts of reform. It is with joy and gratitude that I am now able to share the fruits of their investment by teaching and preaching the spirituality that lies at the core of our shared charism. I am equally grateful to the leaders of the Catholic Church who accompanied my community through our darkest hour and encouraged us to look beyond the limits of our historical founder to discover anew the figure and teachings of John within the rich ecclesial tradition. From the academy, I owe much to the teaching and guidance of Fr. Paul Murray, OP, whose courses of Christian spirituality remain an inspiration and who magnanimously supported an analytical approach different from his own. I would like to thank all those authors who have studied John’s spirituality and become for me precious mentors in this craft. To Laura, whose devoted friendship, keen eye for detail, and unflagging service have been essential to this work, from the earliest stages of my license tesina to the final editing of this book five years later, I reserve my deepest gratitude. Her support, through constructive dialogue, careful editing, and steady encouragement, has been precious: A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one, has found a treasure (Sir 6:14). Finally, I am grateful to my parents who transmitted to me the Christian faith and whose faithful marriage has been a steady rock under my feet.

My heartfelt gratitude to you all and to God: Father, they are your gift to me . . .

1

. Msgr. José R. Carballo, secretary of the (Roman Catholic) Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA) addressed the General Chapter of the Congregation of Saint John (Brothers) in the presence of representatives from the Apostolic Sisters and the Contemplative Sisters of Saint John on October

23

,

2019

, at Saint Jodard, France.

Abbreviations

AJ The Acts of John (anonymous). Critical edition Acta Iohannis by Eric Junod and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. English translations from Knut Schäferdiek.

ANF The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to AD 325. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Repr. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.

CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2011.

CGJ Commentary on the Gospel of John by Thomas Aquinas.

Comm. Jo. Commentary on the Gospel of John by Origen. Greek critical edition by Blanc. English translations by Ronald Heine.

Cons. On the Harmony of the Gospels by Augustine. Latin edition by Weihrich. English translation by Kim Paffenroth.

CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium series.

CWS The Classics of Western Spirituality series.

DS Dictionnaire de spiritualité: Ascétique et mystique. Doctrine et histoire. Edited by Marcel Viller et al. Paris: Beauchesne, 1990.

FC The Fathers of the Church series.

Haer. Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyons.

Hist. eccl. Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius of Caesarea. Greek edition by Bardy. English translation by Michael Holmes or Arthur C. McGiffert et al.

HWCM The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGinn.

Jn Johannine Gospel or Letter (Jn, 1 Jn, 2 Jn, 3 Jn). Abbreviation used in notes and parenthetical citations.

LCC Library of Christian Classics series.

NPNF A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace.

OHJS The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies. Edited by Judith M. Lieu and Martinus C. de Boer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

OHMT The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology. Edited by Edward Howells and Mark A. McIntosh. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020.

PG Patrologia Graeca series. Edited by J. P. Migne.

PL Patrologia Latina series. Edited by J. P. Migne.

SC Sources Chrétiennes series.

SCM Student Christian Movement Press.

ST Summa theologiae by Thomas Aquinas.

Strom. Stromateis by Clement of Alexandria.

Tract. Ev. Jo. Tractates/Homilies on the Gospel of John by Augustine. Latin edition from Berrouard. English translations by John W. Retting or John Gibb et al.

Vox sp. Homily on the Prologue of Saint John by John Scotus Eriugena. Latin edition and reference locators by Edouard Jeauneau. English translations by John J. O’Meara.

WBCCM Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Christian Mysticism. Edited by Julia A. Lamm.

Introduction

With its soaring theology and profound spirituality, John’s Gospel has both exercised the minds of great theologians like Augustine and Aquinas and inspired the devotion of mystics from Gertrude of Helfta to Elizabeth of the Trinity. Even now, the Gospel attracts such abundant commentary from preachers and scholars, that it would hardly seem possible to provide a systematic account of the Gospel’s spiritual doctrine. What exactly is Johannine spirituality, as compared to Pauline or Franciscan or the countless other forms of Christian piety? To this point, the question has been addressed almost exclusively by biblical exegetes. Building on their work, this research approaches the same subject from a new perspective.

Context

For many ancient readers and modern biblical scholars, the Gospel of John is distinguished for its spirituality. Church Fathers have described the book as a spiritual gospel (Clement of Alexandria), mystical and full of spiritual meanings (Origen), born from the evangelist drinking hidden mysteries from Christ’s bosom (Ephrem), and forming believers in contemplative virtue (Augustine).¹ Modern scholars likewise admire this profoundly spiritual gospel for its mysticism (Lee), its contemplative spirituality nourished by a true mysticism of divine presence (Bouyer), its mystical character engaging the deepest spiritual dynamics of the reader (Schneiders), and its profound impact on Christian theology and spirituality (Köstenberger).²

Despite this high esteem, surprisingly few scholars have attempted to articulate the content of Johannine spirituality or to reflect upon how that spirituality is transmitted in the church.³ Among the manifold works of Johannine biblical exegesis, only sixteen scholars have dedicated synthetic studies to the Gospel’s spirituality and some forty-five since the turn of the twentieth century have grappled with its apparent mysticism.⁴

Not only is the field relatively narrow, but the existing research on the Fourth Gospel’s spirituality and mysticism (with few exceptions) has been undertaken by biblical scholars employing modern methods of scientific exegesis. This is understandable, given that the source documents for Johannine spirituality are biblical works requiring their own specific hermeneutic. Still, contributions from a more recent academic discipline, the study of Christian spirituality, are sorely lacking. The existing exegetical literature, despite its many merits (considered at length below), contains some notable limitations.

First, biblical scholars examining the Gospel’s spirituality have complained about the ambiguity of key terms like spirituality and mysticism, from the earliest works in the field to the present.⁵ Some recent authors even view this ambiguity as responsible for a decline of scholarly interest in Johannine spirituality. Since neither spirituality nor mysticism are biblical concepts as such and were formalized later, biblical scholarship does not have the internal resources to resolve this issue. As a result, research often remains inconclusive as to which of the Gospel’s doctrines form part of its spirituality and whether the Johannine texts qualify as mystical. The most famous example of this uncertainty in the field is the conclusion of C. H. Dodd regarding the Gospel’s doctrine of indwelling union with God: Whether this should be called ‘mysticism’ I do not know.⁶

Second, biblical scholars bring to the question of the Gospel’s spirituality their own specific interests, such as the text’s themes, language, literary forms, theological ideas, and contextual influences. While useful for a fuller understanding of the Gospel’s doctrines, such findings are often not directly applicable to the life of faith and piety. As a result, works on Johannine spirituality often read like summaries of Johannine theology, with a dizzying array of themes proposed (anthropology, Christology, pneumatology, eschatology, etc.) but little explanation of how these subjects impact a believer’s moral and spiritual life.⁷ Meanwhile, the study of Christian spirituality pays more attention to the subjective, lived experience of believers—how faith and doctrine transform persons and their response to the gifts of God.

Third, the existing literature on Johannine spirituality focuses almost uniquely on the Gospel text itself, seeking to elucidate its doctrines, symbolism, promised religious experiences, etc. This approach is legitimate and necessary for understanding the Gospel’s implicit spirituality. However, spiritual theologians are also interested in a text’s reception history, in this case how the Gospel was read by later saints and mystics, inspiring their faith and devotion or used to express spiritual doctrines and religious experiences. This posterior ecclesial reception can be useful for interpreting the Gospel’s implicit spiritual doctrines but falls outside the scope of biblical exegesis and requires a different hermeneutic. While biblical scholars may venture into the early patristic era to address the Gospel’s authorship or canonicity, how its spirituality was received among later believers has been left largely unexamined.

Finally, only a few works on the Gospel’s spirituality acknowledge the question of the author’s identity and related issues such as the author of the Johannine corpus and the figure of the beloved disciple. Older studies presume a traditional identification and connect the Gospel’s spirituality to the author’s personal charism and experience. More recent works, however, leave the question unresolved and refer only to spiritual doctrines implicit in the text. Neither position is entirely satisfying, and none of the works surveyed consider the impact of the various theories of Johannine identity on faith and piety. Certainly, it would alter our appreciation of the Gospel’s spirituality to know whether the evangelist was the beloved disciple of Jesus, if its author also wrote the canonical Epistles, if the Gospel reflects the life and work of a Johannine community, if John⁸ himself was an apostle or a mystic, etc.

Guiding Question

Considering the limitations of existing literature on Johannine spirituality, this research will be guided by the following question: What can the methods and interests of spiritual theology (clarified below) add to the understanding of the Fourth Gospel’s implicit spirituality and mystical doctrines? How would a spiritual theologian synthesize and supplement the existing body of biblical scholarship on the Gospel’s spirituality?

Potential Benefits

Recourse to an alternative approach to Johannine spirituality promises fresh insights: 1) A stronger command of non-biblical concepts like spirituality and mysticism can provide solutions to issues that have hampered the work of biblical scholars. 2) A critical review of exegetical studies, from a perspective of spiritual theology, can synthesize their results in ways more relevant or practical for a life of Christian discipleship. 3) An inquiry of spiritual theology will help to bring together ancient and modern readings of John’s Gospel, highlighting areas of complementarity and convergence between the prior ecclesial tradition and current scientific exegesis. 4) Examination of theories of Johannine identity from a perspective of Christian spirituality will help to bridge the gap between the traditional position and plausible alternatives which believers often view as threatening.

Some recent scholarship from the past three decades shows the promising results of such an interdisciplinary approach to Johannine spirituality. Sandra Schneiders, a biblical scholar who also helped to shape the study of Christian spirituality into an academic discipline, seeks to introduce readers to the Fourth Gospel’s spirituality in a way that respects sound biblical exegesis. Luciano Fanin brings a method of spiritual theology to the New Testament, seeking to extract what he calls the lived spiritual experience behind sacred texts. The works of Schneiders and Fanin are examined in chapter 2. Historical theologian Bernard McGinn briefly situates the spiritual doctrines of the Fourth Gospel as a foundational basis for later developments of Christian mysticism, while historians of art and literature like Jennifer O’Reilly, Carolyn Jirousek, and Jeffrey Hamburger trace the posterior impact of John’s example and theology through medieval expressions of faith and piety; these historical works are integrated into chapter 1. Such studies indicate alternative pathways to a fuller comprehension of Johannine spirituality that complement the work of biblical exegetes. I also draw upon the analysis of spiritual theologians to clarify necessary technical issues such as the genesis of a particular spirituality and the criteria for discerning a mystical experience or a mystical text.

Thesis and Object of Study

In this essay, I will be arguing to establish the following claim (thesis): Despite frequent complaints about the ambiguity of the term, it is possible to synthesize a coherent account of the spirituality (mysticism included)⁹ found in John’s Gospel through a critical reading of existing exegetical literature, both ancient and modern, from a perspective of spiritual theology (as explained below, pp. 6–8). In addition, each chapter makes a supporting claim identified for the reader as chapter thesis.

Thus, the material object of this study is the spiritual and mystical doctrines found in the Gospel of John by ancient commentators (second–thirteenth c.) and modern biblical scholars (twentieth–twenty-first c.). The formal object or angle from which these doctrines will be studied is what I call here a perspective of spiritual theology (see below, methodology). To be clear, I do not undertake here an original study of the Gospel texts themselves, with the biblical expertise that would require, but rather start with those who have already done so, analyzing and synthesizing their findings with the following historical and theological methods.

Methodology

One of the primary contributions of this research project is methodological: bringing the aims, methods, and perspective of spiritual theology to a subject that has been almost exclusively treated within Johannine biblical exegesis.

Spiritual theology. In this essay, I use the term spiritual theology for what some scholars in the field refer to as a theological approach to the academic study of Christian spirituality (Principe, McGinn, Schneiders). The focus of this discipline (material object) is the lived experience of Christian faith (Schneiders), the ways in which believers understand and live out their commitment to the God-given life in the Spirit (Bouyer), or the participation in the mystery of Christ through the interior life of grace (Aumann). A theological approach (formal object) to Christian spirituality is one in which—while welcoming useful contributions from other sciences—Scripture, apostolic tradition, and theology remain normative for the understanding and discernment of its authentic forms.¹⁰

Classically defined, spiritual theology is that part of theology which, starting from divine revelation and the experience of the saints, seeks to understand the nature and growth of the Christian spiritual life.¹¹ For some scholars, the moniker spiritual theology is viewed with disfavor, because it evokes systematic works of the early twentieth century whose limitations are now clearly recognized.¹² Despite this association, I will retain spiritual theology as shorthand for a theological approach to the study of Christian spirituality, not only because it is simpler but also because it expresses a normative framework of theology, avoids an unnecessary rupture with the preconciliar works in the field, and preserves the vital reciprocity between two exercises of the same faith, spirituality and theology. Spirituality, as the lived expression of Christian faith and piety, stimulates and calls for theological reflection; theology, as the progressive understanding of divine revelation received in faith, shapes the way that faith is lived in community and in the believer’s relationship with God.¹³

What does spiritual theology look for in an ancient text like John’s Gospel? Here, a perspective of spiritual theology means reading primary sources or scholarly literature with special attention to the following seven elements:

1.lived experience: the ways in which a person lives out his/her Christian beliefs and faith-inspired moral values;

2.spiritual growth: the principles and teachings, means and practices, models and ideals intended to foster growth in holiness toward a fullness of charity and communion with God in anticipation of eternal life;

3.religious experiences: descriptions or promises of a special intimacy with God with some awareness of divine presence, not limited to any particular extraordinary favors but embracing various forms of contemplation and union with God from cataphatic to more apophatic experiences;

4.spiritual doctrine: faith-based teachings of a saint, doctor, or mystic which most directly inspire and guide a believer’s spiritual and moral life, intended to help others grow toward a similar perfection and intimacy with God;

5.reception history: the ways in which a sacred text has been received by the posterior ecclesial tradition, often inspiring acts of imitation and devotion, and how this interpretive tradition enlightens the original source;

6.particular spiritual traditions: distinct and enduring forms of Christian life and discipleship, often inspired by the holy example and teachings of a charismatic or saintly founder; and

7.Christian anthropology: a framework of Christian dogma, morals, and anthropology used in the discernment and interpretation of sources.

Attention to this anthropological framework does not mean ignoring a spiritual author’s original context, theology, or vocabulary but recognizing how his/her expressions harmonize with or diverge from a broader theological tradition. The Christian anthropology presumed in this essay is founded mainly upon the theology of Thomas Aquinas and synthesized in systematic works like those of Royo Marin and Aumann.¹⁴

Because this essay unites vastly different areas of research (hereto treated in separate studies and fields) under an overarching formal perspective, I was obliged to forge a new methodological pathway in each chapter to answer the relevant questions at hand. To the eyes of Johannine biblical scholars, my procedure will likely appear unruly, a patchwork of disparate subjects thrown together. However, the patient reader, I believe, will discover the overall unity and value of this mosaic. The topics treated and the methodologies developed here all align behind the object of study named above: what can be learned about the spirituality of John’s Gospel from a perspective of spiritual theology?

Within this perspective, specific strategies are adopted for the subjects of each chapter. The following are most often used. Analytical reading: I provide a critical review of the scholarly literature for the subfields discussed in each chapter, engaging authors’ arguments, comparing opinions, and synthesizing results in ways that render the Gospel’s doctrines more legible and relevant for spirituality. Historical hermeneutic: Primary sources (ch. 1 and ch. 5) are read with sensitivity to original language and context as well as to possible intertextual influence from other sources. I bring ecclesial meditations on the Gospel into conversation with modern exegesis and use historical examples to illustrate the Gospel’s experiential promises and potential dangers in application. Interdisciplinary recourse: In addition to biblical exegesis, I use spiritual theology to clarify key terms and concepts and integrate findings from art history, social science, the history of mysticism, etc., into a fuller portrait of Johannine spirituality. Theological hermeneutic: I use a framework of Christian anthropology to translate some expressions of ancient writers into terms more familiar to modern theology (e.g., comparing cataphatic and apophatic mysticism).

Overview of Chapters

Chapter 1 begins with a unique challenge: If the Gospel contains and gave rise to a distinct form of Christian spirituality, this was born of the author, his text, and its early interpreters. However, the formal designation and study of different spiritual schools within Christianity is a modern phenomenon, influenced by the development of religious orders. How, then, did the ancient readers of the Fourth Gospel understand and express what we today identify as the Gospel’s implicit spirituality and mysticism? To study this historical reality before the notion of a particular spirituality was formalized requires adapting to how ancient readers approached the sacred text. From the early Fathers to late medieval mystics, Christian writers revered the evangelist as a model for those seeking union with God through loving contemplation. After reviewing the place of spirituality in historical Johannine studies, I examine how Johannine spirituality developed over the first twelve hundred years of its reception history. This research focuses on theological reflections by saints and mystics on the relationship between John’s personal charism, example, and spiritual doctrines. While analyzing the ways in which spiritual and mystical qualities were attributed to the evangelist and his Gospel, I discern an organic development among these reflections. This methodology culminates in syntheses that clarify what Johannine spirituality was for premodern Christians.

Chapter 2 examines modern expositions of Johannine spirituality by biblical scholars from 1918 to the present. Sixteen different authors have attempted a theological account of the Gospel’s unique spiritual doctrine. An initial survey of this literature draws attention to authors’ specific methodologies, how they articulate the Gospel’s spiritual doctrines, and whether they link this spirituality back to the evangelist himself. I then select three works for closer examination: the first published monograph on Johannine spirituality by Donatien Mollat, the influential reflections on the Johannine charism by Hans Urs von Balthasar, and the most recent book-length treatment of Johannine spirituality by Dorothy Lee. This critical study leads to an evaluation of the different scholarly approaches to the subject, a synthesis of the characteristics of Johannine spirituality according to modern scholars, and an original attempt to reframe the findings of biblical exegetes in a way that better corresponds to interests of spiritual theology.

Chapter 3. The preceding study of modern biblical scholarship on Johannine spirituality (ch. 2) exposed the need for a closer examination of the notion of spirituality itself and its application to John’s Gospel. Uncertainty over the term’s meaning and inconsistency in its usage has marred the clarity of those biblical studies. Thus, chapter 3 begins with a historical survey of the term’s semantic development before focusing on the narrower concept of Christian spirituality. From spiritual theologians, who have a stronger command of the notion, I derive a basic typology of the term’s common uses which I then apply to the Fourth Gospel and its reception. This provides new clarity as to how the sacred text and its author can be said to have or to communicate a distinct spirituality. I then compare this concept to more familiar theological terms (charism, doctrine, and tradition) to make the notion of Johannine spirituality simpler and more accessible to the nonspecialist. The resulting disambiguation demonstrates how critical reflection from outside the field of biblical exegesis can contribute to a better understanding of Johannine spirituality.

Chapter 4 addresses another critical question that has for decades plagued the field of Johannine studies. While ancient commentators and past Johannine scholars readily connected the Gospel’s spiritual doctrines to the qualities and experiences of its presumed author, many recent exegetes no longer take this step, marking an estrangement from the long-standing Johannine tradition. Thus, the habitual notion of Johannine spirituality involves assumptions about the evangelist that are no longer taken for granted. To avoid a defensive rejection of modern biblical scholarship on the part of traditional piety, chapter 4 approaches the problem of Johannine identity from a perspective of spirituality, exploring the consequences of various scholarly opinions about the Gospel’s authorship for Christian faith and piety. After an overview of the Johannine Question as both an exegetical and spiritual problem, theories are examined on their historical merits before evaluating their implications for spirituality. Assisting nonspecialists to critically examine the traditional view and its alternatives, this work of spiritual theology can mediate the tension between biblical scholarship and Christian piety.

Chapter 5. Pursuing the intuitions of ancient commentators (ch. 1) and modern biblical scholars (ch. 2), chapter 5 argues that mysticism, properly understood, constitutes an essential feature of Johannine spirituality. To establish this claim, I first review the exegetical literature on Johannine mysticism, from early twentieth-century works, like those of Inge and Underhill, to the more recent studies of Kanagaraj and DeConick. From this research I draw a synthesis of the characteristics, themes, and verses commonly identified as mystical by biblical scholars. This work leads to an initial argument in favor of reading the Gospel as a mystical document. Second, I resolve questions raised by biblical exegetes through an analysis of Christian mysticism by spiritual theologians. This work leads to an independent confirmation of the Gospel’s mysticism from outside the field of biblical exegesis. I again use spiritual theology to propose a typology of mystical experiences in the Gospel and illustrate each type with examples from later saints and mystics who use the same Johannine texts to illuminate their religious experiences. The chapter closes with a brief demonstration of how John’s Gospel has inspired the development of Christian mystical doctrine for nearly two millennia. These contributions reinforce my overarching claim that spiritual theology offers needed supplements to the field of Johannine spirituality.

Together, these five chapters confirm the working hypothesis that, far from a dubious notion, Johannine spirituality is a distinct form of Christian discipleship and doctrine, rooted in the teachings of the Fourth Gospel and the witness of its holy author, that has blossomed through a living tradition of meditating on the sacred text and imitating its beloved disciple and has withstood the scrutiny of modern biblical scholarship. This tradition of faith and piety can be coherently and convincingly elaborated by a careful reading of the existing scholarly and ecclesial resources assisted by the discipline of spiritual theology.

Appendix 1. It does not seem responsible to present the spirituality of John’s Gospel without drawing the reader’s attention to some potential dangers that could arise when this particular and partial expression of Christian spirituality is idealized and separated from the canon of the New Testament. Thus, to protect against this type of deviation and to preserve the healthy place of the Fourth Gospel within the larger body of Christian revelation and tradition, a first appendix identifies, with the help of previous studies (from ch. 2), a few Johannine themes and expressions particularly vulnerable to misapplications. Historical examples illustrate the gravity of such exaggerations. This appendix also addresses the difficult question of whether the Gospel’s spirituality, in and of itself, gives rise to heterodox attitudes often labeled gnostic and closes with suggestions for maintaining healthy forms of Johannine piety in the church.

Appendix 2. A second appendix presents how the Catholic Church’s recent Magisterium and liturgical texts present the charism and doctrine of Saint John as a guide and model of holiness for Christians today. From a sampling of papal teachings, I derive eight characteristics of Johannine spirituality proposed to the faithful. This excursus provides an actualized synthesis of the long-standing Johannine tradition previously studied through the Gospel’s reception history (in ch. 1 and 5.4–5) and confirms my claim that the spirituality found in John’s Gospel both belongs to the common heritage of Christians (3.4.2) and constitutes a distinct, enduring form of Christian piety (3.4.3) within the wider church.

Appendix 3. Research on Johannine spirituality is by no means limited to the historical and synthetic studies examined in this book. As the lived experience or subjective appropriation of Christian faith and discipleship (Schneiders), the spirituality expressed in John’s Gospel engages several key themes of the sacred text. A third appendix briefly reviews a few of those Gospel themes that continue to stimulate new research. Such thematic studies manifest the vast horizons that await exploration once the basics of Johannine spirituality are soundly grasped.

Sources and Parameters

Ideally, a full treatment of Johannine spirituality would examine the spiritual doctrines of each of the canonical Johannine writings (Gospel, Epistles, and Apocalypse). However, to maintain a manageable scope for this project, my research will be limited to the Fourth Gospel as primary source. The canonical First Letter of John appears twice, as a possible stage in the reception of the Gospel’s doctrines (1.3.2) and to provide illustrations of the possible mystical experiences promised in the Gospel (5.4.2–7). Otherwise, interested readers could begin with Dorothy Lee’s Hallowed in Truth and Love (2012) which includes chapters on the spirituality of each book in the Johannine corpus.

A general review of scholarly literature is not provided in this introduction, because such critical surveys of the literature relevant to each subfield are included at the outset of every chapter.

Given that the Fourth Gospel has inspired myriad commentaries over two millennia of Christianity, only those works considered scholarly studies will be treated among the contemporary literature on John’s Gospel. Regrettably, non-academic publications (conferences, retreats, devotional meditations, etc.), while they have their place within the broader tradition of Johannine spirituality, are not included here. Among scholarly works in the field, only those explicitly attempting to sketch an overall portrait of the Gospel’s spirituality are treated in chapter 2 and those which explicitly dedicate a chapter or section to the Gospel’s mysticism are included in chapter 5, beginning in 1918 for the former and 1899 for the latter. Only works of scholarship written or translated into English, French, Spanish, or Italian are included here (with one exception in German).

As for primary sources (commentary from saints, doctors, and mystics), chapter 1 examines the patristic literature, both Greek and Latin Fathers (including Ephrem in translation) until Pseudo-Dionysius (early sixth c.), then Latin literature alone through the end of the thirteenth century. This stopping point was necessary to maintain a reasonable scope, and the ancient authors cited are more than sufficient to support my claim. In addition, I will argue that, from the perspective of spirituality, the mystical literature of the thirteenth century represents a certain culmination of the preceding patristic, monastic, and scholastic traditions. However, chapter 5 does include a selection of primary source reflections on one Gospel verse from the third to the twentieth centuries (5.5).

Knowing the Vine by Its Fruits

A Johannine metaphor might help to capture the approach of this study. John’s Gospel can be pictured as a vine and its vast reception history as fruitful branches shooting off from the trunk.¹⁵ Biblical scholars who have studied the Gospel’s spiritualty have devoted attention to analyzing key themes and vocabulary of the text itself, at times comparing its expressions to ancient forms of mysticism thought to inform the supposed context of the Gospel’s composition. This approach may be compared to an expert assessing the quality of the vine by analyzing samples from its trunk or from the surrounding soil.

My project here integrates the work already done on the Gospel’s spirituality by biblical scholars while reframing their results in a perspective of spiritual theology. One such strategy of spiritual theology consists in clarifying the spirituality of an ancient saint or text by examining the later works of faith and piety inspired by that original source. Sensitive to the echoes of lived experience in historical texts, a spiritual theologian would be interested in signs of the author’s transformative encounters with God in Christ, how the Gospel promises a similar intimacy with God to its readers, and how the Gospel’s witness, in turn, influenced the experiences and doctrines of later saints and mystics.

This work, from experience to text to its reception, is akin to knowing the vine by observing its growth cycle from initial seed to maturity and how its fruits further reveal the quality of the vine (Matt 7:16–20). For John, such ecclesial fruits of the vine glorify God by reflecting for the world something of their divine source (Jn 15:8). The methodology outlined above promises not only to harvest from biblical studies on John’s Gospel some of their more pertinent fruits for Christian spirituality, but also to manifest in new ways the Gospel’s spirituality by savoring the fruits it has borne in the lives, teachings, and devotion of later saints and mystics.

1. Full citations and references from these patristic authors will be provided in ch. 1.

2. Lee, Hallowed, 12; Bouyer, Histoire, 179; Schneiders, Written That, 1 and 4; Köstenberger, Theology, 38–40.

3. Throughout this work, church designates the integral community of believers in Christ and the broader Christian tradition in its varied historical expressions. In appendixes 1 and 2, Church is used to refer to a specific Christian denomination (e.g., Roman Catholic). The author hopes to engage the broadest possible readership.

4. These works are discussed in ch. 2 (spirituality) and ch. 5 (mysticism) with criteria for inclusion.

5. On the ambiguity of spirituality, see Grossouw, Spirituality, 5; Grech, Outline, vii; Lee, Hallowed, 9. On mysticism, see Inge, Christian Mysticism, 3; McPolin, Johannine Mysticism, 25; and DeConick, Jewish and Christian Mysticism, 1.

6. Dodd, Interpretation, 200.

7. See my discussion of Schneiders, inf. 2.1, p. 110; and Mollat, inf. 2.2.2, p. 120 and 2.2.4, p. 130.

8. Throughout this work, I retain the traditional name John for the author of the Fourth Gospel, without committing to any specific identity or authorship theory. To facilitate distinction from its author, the Gospel will be abbreviated as Jn in notes. The question of Johannine identity and its consequences for spirituality are carefully evaluated in ch. 4.

9. In this essay, I follow the opinion of Sheldrake in viewing mysticism as a particular expression or form of spirituality; see Guide, 15 and 39.

10. See Principe, Toward, 140; McGinn, Letter, 30–32; and Schneiders, Approaches, 16, 24–25. Bouyer and Aumann, as cited by McGinn. Discussion of these texts is provided in ch. 3 on the notion of spirituality.

11. My paraphrase of Aumann, Spiritual Theology, 22.

12. Discussed below, 3.3.2, n44.

13. See McIntosh, Mystical Theology, 10–11; and Endean, Spirituality and Theology, 76.

14. Royo Marin, Christian Perfection; Aumann, Spiritual Theology.

15. Keefer insightfully uses the Johannine image of the vine as a metaphor for the Gospel’s early reception history in Branches, 1–2.

I.

Johannine Spirituality according to Ancient Readers

1.1 Introduction

Scholars of patristic literature have noted the Fathers’ singular esteem for the spirituality of John’s Gospel. Theological texts like the Prologue were viewed as the work of a great contemplative and seemed to set the Gospel apart from the rest of Scripture.¹⁶ The ancients readily characterized this special quality of the Gospel as spiritual or mystical and transferred these traits of the sacred text to its author. Thus, from the early Fathers to late medieval mystics, John is often presented as the theologian and model for those seeking union with God through contemplation. Such attributions were a natural product of the ancients’ piety, without formulating the notion of a personal charism or distinct Christian spirituality as do modern scholars. How then did these ancient admirers understand and express what we might today identify as the Gospel’s spirituality or mysticism?

This chapter presents original research in Johannine reception history from the specific perspective of spiritual theology. Within the larger field of Johannine historical studies, only a few authors focus on spirituality (1.2). Despite their valuable contributions, none offer a comprehensive, analytical narrative tracing the development of Johannine spirituality from its origins to the modern era. Here, I propose a partial remedy for this lacuna, by analyzing how Johannine spirituality developed over the first twelve hundred years since the Gospel’s diffusion, through successive theological reflections on the charism of the evangelist himself. To avoid the anachronism of transposing contemporary concepts like charism, spirituality, and mysticism back onto early Christian sources, I seek to read ancient and medieval authors on their own terms. I propose (chapter thesis) that a dynamic but cohesive tradition of Johannine spirituality is discernible from the first twelve centuries of the Gospel’s reception, long before the concept of Johannine spirituality was formalized.

I argue toward this conclusion in three ways. First, among the vast array of ancient literature which could be called Johannine—including commentaries on the canonical texts, exhortations on John’s virtues as reflected in Scripture, legends surrounding the figure of John, etc.—I limit my focus to what I call theological reflections on the spirituality of John (1.3.1), namely, how Christian writers understand the relationship between John’s personal charism (i.e., his experience of God in Christ, unique privileges, virtues, and gifts of holiness), John’s exemplarity (i.e., features of that personal charism upheld for the edification and imitation of the faithful) and John’s spiritual doctrine (i.e., those of his teachings commonly recognized as flowing from his personal charism and leading others to similar perfection and union with God). Second, I discern an organic development among these theological reflections on the spirituality of John, gathering them into a multifaceted but coherent narrative. Third, while studying this tradition of Johannine spirituality, I identify and analyze the ways in which spiritual and mystical qualities are attributed to John and his Gospel by the ancient writers themselves. This methodology itself constitutes an original contribution to the field, while providing the reader with an authentic understanding of Johannine spirituality according to ancient Christian writers that avoids anachronism.

Finally, it should be noted that this chapter does not pretend to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject, even within the temporal and methodological boundaries I have set. Here, I only wish to punctuate the major developments of a part of the history of Johannine spirituality, so as to lend greater clarity to the term. Given the magnitude of the task and the limitations of this study, this chapter is meant to serve as a template for future research.

1.2 Spirituality in Historical Johannine Studies

Before analyzing the primary texts themselves, a review of recent studies on Johannine reception history will serve to familiarize the reader with the field and to highlight the originality of my approach. The literature will be considered from the specific angle of spiritual theology: How do these historical studies enlighten the progressive development of the Johannine spiritual tradition? How did ancient readers characterize the Fourth Gospel’s unique qualities, and how did they view its evangelist? To facilitate comprehension, I divide the field into five subcategories.¹⁷

1.2.1 Early Johannine Exegetical History

The largest body of Johannine historical studies consists of works of early exegetical history that examine the reception of John’s Gospel in the second and third centuries. This research focuses on the relationship between the text and its first interpreters, considering issues such as the earliest citations of the Gospel, its geographical diffusion, and attributions of authorship. Some scholars speculate on the person or community behind the redaction of the Gospel, while others compare exegetical approaches to and doctrinal applications of it.

The earliest studies of this kind seek to document second-century uses of the Gospel and to determine which group first claimed the text as their own, gnostic or orthodox Christians. Sanders’s The Fourth Gospel in the Early Church (1943) concludes that orthodox use and apostolic attribution of the Gospel appear only late in the second century, when Irenaeus reclaimed the text from his gnostic opponents, while Braun’s Jean le théologien et son évangile dans l’Eglise ancienne (1959) argues instead for a broad reception of the Fourth Gospel among orthodox writers as early as Ignatius of Antioch. Braun’s thesis is pursued by Poffet (1990) and Kieffer (1992), until Hill’s The Johannine Corpus in the Early Church (2004) definitively refutes the view that gnostics dominated the Gospel’s early reception. Zelyck (2013) explores the influence of John’s Gospel on the extracanonical gospels of the second and third centuries.

Other scholars step back from the orthodox-gnostic polemic to understand the early Johannine exegetes on their own terms. Wiles’s The Spiritual Gospel (1960) compares Alexandrian and Antiochian exegesis, with a useful chapter (ch. 5) on the Gospel’s spiritual themes as read by Origen. Pagels’s The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis (1973) seeks to render more intelligible the often-puzzling Valentinian reading of the text. Keefer’s The Branches of the Gospel of John (2006) compares early exegetical approaches, identifying the distinctive traits of the Fourth Gospel that lend it to a spiritualizing reading.

Hengel’s The Johannine Question (1989) offers a new assessment of second-century reception history, proposing John the Elder and his school as the source of the Fourth Gospel. This influential study sparked a wave of responses to the question of Johannine identity whose consequences for spirituality I consider in chapter 4.

Finally, a few recent collections gather specialized essays on topics of early Johannine reception history: Kaestli, Poffet, and Zumstein’s La communauté johannique et son histoire (1990), Marchadour’s Origine et postérité de l’évangile de Jean (1990) and Rasimus’s The Legacy of John (2010). Some of these essays may be of special interest to spiritual theology, like Léon-Dufour’s study on the symbolic language of John (1990).

What value do these works have for the study of Johannine spirituality? In general, they provide the historical framework needed for an accurate understanding of the initial developments of the Johannine tradition. One cannot appreciate how patristic-era theologians understood John’s charism and spirituality without some familiarity with the commentators themselves, the Johannine themes that interested them, and the exegetical methods they used to read John’s Gospel. More directly pertinent to Johannine spirituality, many early Christian writers, defending the apostolic authorship of the Gospel, extol the holiness and mystical experiences of its presumed evangelist. In addition, the predilection for John’s Gospel by practitioners of spiritual exegesis (explained below) alerts the historian to those passages perceived as having spiritual or mystical value for early patristic theologians.

1.2.2 Specific Johannine Reception Studies

Given the enormous task of tracing the influence of the Fourth Gospel on two millennia of Western Christendom, scholars frequently focus on a more manageable historical period or geographical region. By examining the impact of John upon the art, literature, and piety of a specific cultural context, many studies offer a useful portrait of how the spirituality and charism of the saint was understood and venerated.

Bridges’s The Fourth Gospel and Celtic Christianity (2008) explores how John’s Gospel and persona shaped Irish piety from the seventh to ninth centuries, including its liturgical observances, popular devotions, and inclination toward mysticism and contemplation. O’Reilly’s Saint John as a Figure of the Contemplative Life (1992) shows how the image of John served as model for the spiritual exegesis and contemplative life of Benedictine monks in tenth- and eleventh-century England. In The Eriugenian Concept of Theology (1996), Kijewska presents John as the exemplar of theoria, or speculative contemplation, in the works of John Scotus Eriugena and his legacy from the ninth to twelfth centuries. Jirousek’s delightful Christ and St. John the Evangelist as a Model of Medieval Mysticism (2001) traces the inspiring impact that the image of John resting upon the breast of Christ had upon the mystical lives of medieval nuns from the late thirteenth to early fourteenth centuries. Volfing dedicates two studies (1994, 2001) to the figure of John in medieval German sermons and devotional literature, including some useful background on common Johannine themes like the saint’s virginity, mystical drinking from the breast of Christ, and contemplative ascent. Wheeler’s St. John and the Victorians (2012) examines the figure of the evangelist in the art, literature, and exegesis of nineteenth-century England.¹⁸

Other works consider the reception of a specific Johannine text or its influence upon a particular author. Marchadour (1990), for example, traces the exegetical history of John 11 from the patristic era to the twentieth century, while Crouzel (1990) presents the promise of living water in John 4 in the spiritual exegesis of Origen. Cervera (2000) demonstrates the influence of John upon Carmelite spirituality through the reception of John 14:23 and John 17, while Castro-Sánchez (2017) focuses on John’s Gospel as a source for the spirituality of Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity. Some scholars study a specific spiritual theme, like Junod’s (1987) presentation of John’s virginity throughout the patristic era.

These specific reception studies have obvious value for Johannine spirituality, but they do not, as I undertake in this chapter, attempt a continuous theological narrative traversing different historical periods and cultural contexts. In addition, some authors employ a descriptive method with little theological analysis of their sources.

1.2.3 Overviews of Johannine Reception History

A few biblical commentaries provide a brief overview of the reception history of the Fourth Gospel. These selections are only summary treatments, underscoring the need for a more rigorous, full-length work on the subject. However limited, they still offer a valuable panorama, allowing beginners to become familiar with some major figures and developments of the Johannine tradition. The approach in these texts is too broad to engage particular themes of spirituality or to analyze the contributions of specific authors.

Elowsky’s collection of patristic commentaries on the Fourth Gospel (2006) includes a section summarizing the major surviving commentaries from the second to fifth centuries. Mark Edwards’s John (2004) assembles into a verse-by-verse format a variety of interpretations drawn from sermons, exegesis, liturgy, art, and even contemporary music and film. The commentary is prefaced by an overview describing major stages of Johannine reception: patristic era, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, modern criticism, and twentieth-century trends. Though dated, Schnackenburg’s Gospel according to John (1968) also traces the Fourth Gospel in history from the second to mid-twentieth centuries. Léon-Dufour’s Où en est la recherche johannique? (1990) focuses on postconciliar exegesis.

1.2.4 General Histories of Spirituality or Mysticism

A few general histories of Christian spirituality include useful sections on John’s Gospel. Given their wide scope, these studies characterize John (alongside Paul) as foundational for the later Christian mystical tradition. Other than the fortuitous mention of a few Johannine passages that influenced subsequent saints and spiritual authors, these works do not attempt to pursue anything like a Johannine thread in the history of spirituality. Nonetheless, they do attempt to characterize, however briefly, the spiritual and mystical import of John’s Gospel with minimal attention to his person and charism. These works are considered at greater length in chapter 2 (spirituality) and chapter 5 (mysticism).

Inge’s lecture series on Christian Mysticism (1899) includes a short treatment of the characteristics of Johannine mysticism as part of his discussion of the mystical element in the Bible. The first volume of Bouyer’s Histoire de la spiritualité chrétienne (1960) devotes an entire chapter to the principal spiritual themes of the Johannine writings. The first volume of McGinn’s monumental history of Western Christian mysticism, The Presence of God (1991–2021), includes brief considerations on Saint John as mystic, the sense of the Fourth Gospel as spiritual, and a few Johannine themes that lend themselves to a mystical interpretation.

1.2.5 Histories of Johannine Devotion

Most useful for my research in this chapter are a few works dedicated to the history of the legends and cult surrounding the figure of Saint John. Catholic theology has long considered liturgy and popular piety to be an authentic locus theologicus. From the manifold ways in which John has been venerated over the centuries, the theologian can identify characteristics of Johannine spirituality as transmitted in the living tradition of the church. While exegetical histories focus