How Might Jesus’ Relationship with the Beloved Disciple Affirm LGBTQ+ Christians in the Twenty-First Century?

This study will consider the loving relationship between Jesus and his Beloved Disciple, as portrayed in John’s Gospel. It will focus on the various passages in which the Beloved Disciple becomes a major character in the Johannine narrative: his engagement with Jesus at the Last Supper (Jn 13:21-30), the Crucifixion and the Resurrection respectively (Jn 19:25b-27; 20:1-10; 21:1-14), as well as the episode in which the Beloved Disciple is discussed by Jesus and Peter and affirmed as the author(ity) of the Gospel (Jn 21:20-25). Narrative-critical tools will first be applied to offer an exegetical analysis of the character of the Beloved Disciple and also of the characterization of his relationship with Jesus. Reception-historical perspectives on Jesus and the Beloved Disciple will then be analysed to identify how past ‘readers’ have interpreted the passages in question and to consider the impact of the Beloved Disciple on later Christian culture. Queer Theory challenges binary preconceptions and encourages the displacement of ‘traditional’ perspectives so that a reading can be undertaken which avoids non-affirming bias. Following this inter-disciplinary analysis, a gay-affirming ‘queer’ reading of the Johannine passages will seek to reveal new insights into the character(ization) of the Johannine Jesus, particularly with reference to his loving relationships with a character not attested elsewhere in the New Testament. The intention of the study is to enable an interpretation of Jesus to emerge that supports an inclusive example of LGBTQ+ love and which can affirm LGBTQ+ Christians in their faith.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

ma

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Payne, Daniel David John

• BR Cristnogaeth
• BS Y Beibl

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:3126