The discussion, conducted in this section, about the involvement of the readers278 in the attuned
interaction that establishes an experience of God, and the elaboration (on it in the upcoming pages)
on their response to God’s initiative during the journey of experiencing Him, do not aim to get involved in any debate whatsoever, on the epistemological topics concerning John’s readership or the hermeneutical approaches dealing with reader response or the world in front of the text and their ramifications. Rather, both the discussion and the elaboration are done to underline the significance of the place and the role of the Johannine readers in this journey.
Here, three groups of readers are distinguished: The first group consists of those readers who met Jesus or knew Him when He was alive, and who, after His Death and Resurrection, read what John wrote about Him. The second group comprises the early Christians who did not have the privilege to meet/know Jesus in person, but they have shared with the members of the first group the same social-historical-religious milieu. The members of the third group are the subsequent Johannine readers throughout the years and centuries. Each group has offered/offers/will offer its members a different spiritual environment within which their journey of experiencing God was/is lived. Each of these groups has a different type or level of involvement in the above-discussed attuned
interaction. Additionally, the members of these groups can be classified in two categories: The first category consists of those who read the Bible by themselves, for themselves, for whatever the
purpose or the motivation of that reading might be; the second category comprises those who perform the act of reading for others, for example, a religious leader, a lector, or a celebrant in a given liturgical celebration.279 Investigating the experience of God by these groups and categories
can be a compelling topic for further studies.280
278. The discussion in this section generally refers to the early Johannine readers. It could also be applied to the Johannine readers of any era thereafter, taking into considerations both the circumstances of these readers and the state of affairs of their era.
279. Gavrilov (1997:56) maintains that “throughout antiquity books were written to be read aloud, and that even
private reading often took on some of the characteristics of a modulated declamation. It might be said without undue exaggeration that a book of poetry or artistic prose was not simply a text in the modern sense but something like a score for public or private performance”.
Nevertheless, no matter to which group they belong, or the nature (strength; length; depth; maturity; etc.) of their journey in experiencing God, the readers remain the center of attention of both God through His initiative, and John through his narrative: Since the dawn of creation, God wanted, and still wants, His human creatures and beloved children to be with Him in His kingdom and to enjoy the eternal life He grants them if they believe in His Word/Only Begotten Son and observe the words/the sacred Scriptures written about Him. Thus, God was/is/will always be the initiator and the benefactor of every spiritual journey of experiencing Him.
Additionally, these words -the sacred Scriptures- were written to record God’s divine initiative, to establish and facilitate this journey, and to accompany the readers of these words (in this case, John’s readers) in this journey. God the Father sent His Son to reveal and explain this initiative to His believers and members of His Familia Dei. He sent His Holy Spirit to inspire the authors of the New Testament (as He did to their ancestors who composed the Old Testament) to record this initiative in their writings and to convey it to their readers.
Furthermore, one can say that the involvement of the readers in the above-mentioned attuned
interaction finds its roots in the cooperation of the inspired biblical authors with the divine
inspiration that helped them while composing their writings, as well as in the remarkable relationship between these authors and their writings during the time of composition. It also finds its roots in the valuable contribution of the lectors at the dawn of Christianity. During this era, many of the early hearers or believers were illiterate and did not have access to these written texts in the same manner as the readers of later stages did/do. For them, the only available access to these texts was via performances done by a proficient reader or a skilled performer – this fact reduced the lack of literacy. Although there is no complete agreement among scholars on considering John’s narrative as a drama, some of them have made a good observation in pointing out certain features of John’s employment of dramatic techniques.281
281. According to Connick (1948:159-169), the purpose of the Fourth Evangelist was consistent with that of a dramatist. And throughout the narrative of his Gospel, there are many evidences of the use of techniques employed normally by dramatists, i.e. Artistic form; Concentrated action; Contrast; Symmetry; Variety; Irony; Time and place indications; and Dialogue pattern.
Domeris (1983:31-32) asserts: “In the Johannine drama, Jesus takes the leading role…the central spotlight is focused
on Jesus. His presence pervades every scene; his authority dominates all interactions with others, even at his trial; his words govern every conversion in which he engages”.
During these performances, the biblical texts were highly visible since they were often read from directly (Lk 4:16-20) or held in the lector’s left hand when recited from memory. The likelihood exists that through exposure to repeated performances of a text, an illiterate person could have become familiar enough with a text to have memorized it. Within the intimate context of a Christian house church, the lector may have been immediately accessible to the audience to explain issues arising from the text’s contents (cf. Le Donne & Thatcher 2011:16). One should give credit to the role of memorization in preserving and enhancing the effectiveness of this contribution.282
Therefore, hearers apprehended and reacted to biblical texts as these were read aloud. From their side, the readers came to the spiritual journey of experiencing God with their needs, struggles, joy, dreams, disappointments, sufferings, excitement for a brighter future, and the like. Above all, they came with their hope to encounter Jesus and experience God, with their longing to deepen their knowledge of Him, and with their inspiration to have that experience. Needless to prove here, that throughout its history, the Fourth Gospel has channeled/is still channeling the graces of God the Father to countless readers and to those who believe in Him and in His Only Son through reading/hearing its narrative, graces that satisfied their needs and fulfill their aspirations, in other words, changed their life.
Encountering Jesus is a central theme in the Gospel of John, running throughout its narrative; it is a life-changing event. This is the essence of spiritualty and the starting point of the journey of experiencing God. For those who met Jesus and accepted Him, He “gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). This means that their identity has changed from being ordinary human creatures to becoming members of the Familia Dei, eligible to all the privileges that comes with this honor, e.g. receiving one gift replacing another (Jn 1:16); eating the heavenly bread and living for ever (Jn 6:50); and dwelling with Jesus in His Father’s house (Jn 14:1-4). This means that the believers, at their own level, are able -through the merit of this new gift- to experience God as His children, drawing from the Son’s experience of God the Father.
282. The following are some quotes and references that give an insight into this topic:
Hezser (2001:496) maintains that “the texts of the New Testament emerged from a society that was…keenly invested
in the memorization and rehearsal of significant textual traditions”.
Horsley ([1987] 2006:x) notes that “in an environment in which communication was mainly oral, oral forms,
techniques, and style carried over in the production of manuscripts”.
Therefore, when reading this Gospel and meditating on these verses, the readers feel motivated to embark on the timeless and rewarding journey of experiencing God. Another factor that motivates the Johannine readers can be found in the panorama of individual and personal encounters with which John illustrated his narrative. These are the encounters of Jesus and ordinary people coming from different backgrounds carrying on their shoulders the impact of their daily life circumstances. These encounters led to an exceptional spark of faith, which Jesus both affirmed and amplified into a blazing flame that changed the life of these individuals and initiated their experience of God through His Son. Consequently, they went and told other people about Jesus; in their turn, these people ended up believing in Him. Among these individuals are John the Baptizer (Jn 1:29-33); the first two disciples (Jn 1:35-42); Nathanael (Jn 1:47-51); Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-8); the sick man (Jn 5:1-16); the royal official (Jn 4:43-54); the adulterous woman (Jn 8:1-11); the man born blind (Jn 9:1-17); Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus (Jn 9:1-16); and all the noteworthy encounters of the Disciples with Jesus during His ministry, especially during the Last Supper and after His resurrection. To all of these, one can add the experience of the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:1-43), even though one can notice some hesitation in her experience: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” [Μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός?] (Jn 4:29). Each of these people had a unique encounter with Jesus that changed their life on a physical level (healing; restoring of health; rising from the dead), on a spiritual level (forgiveness of sins; believing), or on a social level (leaving everything and following Jesus). These individuals were ordinary people before encountering Jesus. After meeting Him, they became His faithful followers (they followed Him through His death and resurrection) and fearless witnesses, proclaiming His good news to their families, circles of friends, and societies.
Although the subsequent readers do not have the same privilege that these people had, namely encountering the historical Jesus/the incarnate Word of God, they would certainly encounter Him through His words recorded in John’s Gospel and consequently have their own experience of Him and of His heavenly Father. In this way the readers become members of the Familia Dei through the Son, and witnesses to the Father under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They become branches of the True Vine (Jn 15:1-17) bearing fruits of unity, complete joy, faith, and salvation. Therefore, they are doing what Jesus has commanded them to do.
Jesus -who was with the Father before creation (Jn 1:1-2)- has experienced His Father in a very special and unique way, because He is close to the Father’s heart (Jn 1:18). He learned from the Father and passed it on to His Disciples and believers. Jesus’ experience of God can be described with four elements:283 Knowing the Father, remaining in Him, glorifying Him by doing His will,
and making the Father known to others. Moreover, the above-listed Johannine characters had these elements in their own experience of God. In other words, as Jesus was the first to experience God, He did not keep this experience to Himself, but shared its merits and graces with them, as well as with His disciples. In their turn, they encountered Jesus, and experienced God through Him. Consequently, they told the others about this experience, and somehow, like Jesus, they made God known to them.
The involvement of the readers in the above-discussed attuned interaction has, therefore, among others, an inward aspect towards oneself: The readers read John’s narrative for themselves, and experience God, after which some of them share this experience with others, which generates new experiences. It also has an outward aspect: Lectors read this narrative to others, and accordingly these hearers interact with the heard narrative and will have their own experience.
283. In order to keep the follow of the discussion in this paragraph smooth and not burden it with many references, the references from John’s narrative, which are related to these elements, are not listed here. However, reading this narrative attentively, leads certainly to all of the relevant verses and passages.
4.4 Concluding Remarks
The present Chapter aims at gaining a deeper insight into the Johannine Experience of God. It consists of two main parts. The first part contains considerations on Religious Experience, the
Johannine Community, and the Fourth Gospel. The second part suggests and discusses, what it
called, an Attuned Interaction that establishes an experience of God and constitutes spirituality when the narrative of John is read or heard.
The considerations on Religious Experience underlines the fact that the Johannine Experience of God, as any experience in general or a given religious experience, consists of various contributing factors that are fundamental to its occurrence(s), instrumental in defining its nature, and essential to the process of examining it and apprehending it. In addition, the Johannine Experience of God correlates with believing in Jesus, who is in the heart of this experience and conveys to His believers what He experiences with His Father, who sent Him. Three fundamental features of the religious experiences lived by the early Christians -including the Johannine Community- could be considered as major contributors to their experience of God: First, the influence of the revelatory
events on these experiences; second, the significance of Jesus’ presence in the heart of these
experiences; and third, the impact of the interaction between these Christians and their historical- social-spiritual milieu, on their experience of God.
The considerations on Johannine Community underline three common elements of the most generally accepted theories on this community: First, John’s Gospel offers a significant insight on the Johannine Community within which it was composed; second, vice versa, investigating the history of the Johannine Community generates a satisfying comprehension of John’s Gospel; and third, the Johannine Community has endured a two-level trauma: Expulsion from the synagogue, and an inner conflict. Moreover, to accommodate the purpose of the thesis, the following annotations about the Johannine Community are intentionally articulated:
The present thesis considers the Johannine Community as part of the Familia Dei according to which the Johannine Experience of God is investigated in the next Chapter.
The Johannine Community was the prolific cradle within which the experience of God of its members has occurred and developed.
The considerations on the Fourth Gospel direct the attention to a twofold valuable contribution: The first fold consists of an inward contribution from the early Christian history into the Fourth Gospel. This contribution enfolds the substantial aspects of this history from which the Fourth Evangelist has drawn his knowledge, experience, inspiration, and motivation to compose his Gospel. It also encloses the significant events that occurred throughout this history and have shaped his theology, spirituality, thoughts, writing style, and experience of God.
The second fold is an outward contribution from the Fourth Gospel into the Christian history. It consists of the valuable, productive, and abundant input, which this Gospel has brought into the life of its readers (original and subsequent) at both an individual and a communal level (enhancing their spirituality, enriching their devotion, constituting an experience of God). It seems logical to accept that history generates traditions, and tradition creates experience: In the case of the Christians this experience includes their experience of God.
Furthermore, the considerations on the Fourth Gospel express the decision of the thesis to adopt the theories -suggested by prominent scholars as discussed above- maintaining that the Gospel of John was composed over a period of time involving various factors, and that its theology, Christology, and spirituality underwent a lengthy process of development. Building upon this decision and elaborating on the interrelated discussion, it is suggested that the connection between all of these factors and the Johannine Experience of God finds its meaning in the dynamic relationship existent between time and experience: Time makes experience more mature and significant; while, in return, experience makes time more meaningful and productive.
The outcomes of the above-articulated considerations led to propose/identify certain noteworthy
religious needs of the Johannine Community, dubbed to be correlated to the Johannine Experience
of God: First, the need to feel loved by other members of the community/Familia Dei; second, the need to feel accepted, which was generated by the two-fold trauma endured by the members of the community; and third, the need to feel secured, which is closely associated with belongingness and forming attachments, that founds its roots in the most traumatic moments in the life of this community. A genuine experience of God has the ability to satisfy these needs. Living such experience has abundant merits, part of which is that the Johannine reader feels loved by the Father and His Son, as well as included and welcomed in the Familia Dei.
The second part of this Chapter is a discussion of the suggested Attuned Interaction that establishes an experience of God. It is an interaction between the involvements of four principal contributing participants in this experience, namely, God the Father, the Fourth Evangelist, the narrative of John, and the readers of this Gospel. The following involvements apply:
- The involvement of God happened/is happening at three levels: He inspired the Fourth Evangelist; He sanctified the narrative; and He is constantly drawing its readers to Him.
- The contribution of the Fourth Evangelist to this attuned interaction consists of skillfully recording his own experience of God, and employing his skills and knowledge in doing so, accordingly providing the readers with an impressive narrative.
- The involvement of the narrative of the Fourth Gospel can be found in its sacred nature, the richness of its theological contents, and its effective functionality.
- The involvement of the Johannine readers consists of them reading John’s narrative, interacting with it, and responding to God’s Initiative.
The reason behind listing these involvements in this order is to follow the chronological sequence of their occurrences: Initially, God inspired the Fourth Evangelist, who consequently composed his Gospel, and ever since, the readers started getting involved in reading it. The attuned interaction of these involvements in establishing an experience of God can be understood in the light of the functionality of John’s narrative during the event of reading it or hearing it. The suggestion of Van der Merwe (2015a:3-9 of 9 pages) is taken as a starting point to investigate this functionality and accordingly appreciate its contribution in constituting such experience. The following remarks on the effects of John’s narrative on its readers summarize the outcome of this investigation.
The first element of this functionality/effect of John’s narrative consists of the ability of John’s narrative to create a dynamic interaction between its contents and its readers. This interaction has the potential to generate spirituality and constitute an experience of God. This dynamic is initiated