Overview

How do the Greco-Roman views of ethnicity inform our reading of the Spirit in the Fourth Gospel? This study not only reviews the role of ethnicity and race in the ancient world; it also proposes a bold new understanding of Johannine pneumatology. From an ethnocritical perspective, this study argues that the Spirit was articulated for an ethnically diverse Johannine community that was dealing with the issues of race relations. The Spirit is the divine breath of God that commissions Jesus for the redemption of all ethnicities. The Spirit is involved in the maternal birth of all ethnic members who are in the family of God. The Spirit draws all people despite their ethnic lineage and heritage. And the Spirit is actively involved as an advocate for the minoritized community undergoing synagogue violence. Will the members of the Johannine community still hold onto ethnic ideologies of dehumanization that were prevalent of their age? Can the Johannine community still have the Spirit and support ideologies of ethnic division and hate? This study seeks to answer these questions.

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9781532670862

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Reviews

Estrada breaks new ground in Johannine studies with his valuable contribution from the approach of ethnicity research. Along the way Estrada addresses respectfully a range of views in Johannine scholarship and engages a range of backgrounds for the Fourth Gospel. I find particularly fresh and valuable his ethnographic study of material in Aristotle, the Hippocratic corpus, and other ancient sources. --Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, author of The Gospel of John: A Commentary In this important book, Rodolfo Estrada helpfully interprets John's pneumatology in the light of religious, ethnic, and sociological tensions then and now, illuminating how John's message might help today's readers transcend such divisions and boundaries. Not only is this a good book; it offers an invaluable key to overcoming prejudice, dehumanization, and hatred across the bounds of time and space. A must-read for ethnicity and biblical studies alike! --Paul N. Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies, George Fox University, Extraordinary Professor of Religion, North-West University of Potchefstroom, South Africa Estrada provides a much-needed ethnocritical re-examination of the Johannine community, yielding an enriching matrix for understanding and evaluating contemporary ethno-racial relations within the people of the Spirit--the church. By demonstrating that racial and ethnic negotiations are embedded in the Fourth Gospel itself, Estrada gifts the reader with a valuable Spirit-Paraclete ethic for engaging present-day oppressive ethnic ideologies that threaten to dehumanize others within and without the walls of the church. --Sammy Alfaro, Professor of Theology, Grand Canyon Theological Seminary & College of Theology

Estrada breaks new ground in Johannine studies with his valuable contribution from the approach of ethnicity research. Along the way Estrada addresses respectfully a range of views in Johannine scholarship and engages a range of backgrounds for the Fourth Gospel. I find particularly fresh and valuable his ethnographic study of material in Aristotle, the Hippocratic corpus, and other ancient sources. --Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, author of The Gospel of John: A Commentary In this important book, Rodolfo Estrada helpfully interprets John's pneumatology in the light of religious, ethnic, and sociological tensions then and now, illuminating how John's message might help today's readers transcend such divisions and boundaries. Not only is this a good book; it offers an invaluable key to overcoming prejudice, dehumanization, and hatred across the bounds of time and space. A must-read for ethnicity and biblical studies alike! --Paul N. Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies, George Fox University, Extraordinary Professor of Religion, North-West University of Potchefstroom, South Africa Estrada provides a much-needed ethnocritical re-examination of the Johannine community, yielding an enriching matrix for understanding and evaluating contemporary ethno-racial relations within the people of the Spirit--the church. By demonstrating that racial and ethnic negotiations are embedded in the Fourth Gospel itself, Estrada gifts the reader with a valuable Spirit-Paraclete ethic for engaging present-day oppressive ethnic ideologies that threaten to dehumanize others within and without the walls of the church. --Sammy Alfaro, Professor of Theology, Grand Canyon Theological Seminary & College of Theology

Author Information

Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III is Assistant Adjunct Professor of the New Testament and Director of Accreditation Processes at Fuller Theological Seminary.

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