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Descent and Divine Paternity in the Gospel of John: Does the Mother Matter?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2005

TURID KARLSEN SEIM
TURID KARLSEN SEIM
Affiliation:
Department of Biblical Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, P. O. Box 1023 Blindern, N-0315, Oslo, Norway
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Abstract

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The role of the mother of Jesus is explored in view of ancient constructions of paternity especially as expressed in the Aristotelian theory of epigenesis. It concludes that beyond framing Jesus' life in the flesh, she is present under the cross as his kin in a group uniquely composed of family and friends together. As Jesus entrusts her and the beloved disciple to each other, a process is begun whereby a familia dei comes into being – in which the matter provided by the mother is superfluous. These children are begotten/born from above ‘not of blood(s) or of the will of flesh or of the will of man but of God’ – alone.

Type
Research Article
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , July 2005 , pp. 361 - 375
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

Footnotes

Short main paper given at the Annual Meeting of SNTS in Barcelona, August 2004.