Contemporary Johannine Scholarship: Texts, Contexts, and Trajectories

Dear Colleagues,

The Gospel of John continues to be one of the most theologically rich, literarily sophisticated, and interpretively complex texts in the New Testament. Distinct from the Synoptic Gospels in both content and style, John’s Gospel presents a profound theological vision centered on themes such as the incarnation of the Word, the revelatory role of Jesus, the nature of belief, and the dynamics of community and opposition. For over two millennia, this Gospel has shaped Christian thought, liturgy, and spirituality, and it remains a focal point of scholarly inquiry across multiple disciplines.

In recent decades, Johannine scholarship has experienced a remarkable renewal. Advances in literary criticism, narrative theory, historical inquiry, theology, and reception history have not only revisited traditional questions but also opened up fresh avenues of interpretation. These include the Gospel’s narrative dynamics, symbolism, social context, philosophical resonances, and theological relevance in contemporary discourse.

For this Special Issue, we invite contributions that critically and creatively engage with the Gospel of John from a wide range of methodological and disciplinary perspectives. We welcome original research articles and reviews that explore both established and emerging topics in Johannine studies. Our goal is to foster a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the Gospel’s historical setting, literary artistry, theological message, and ongoing influence.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Christology in the Gospel of John (e.g., the identity of Jesus as Logos, Son of God, Lamb of God);
• The role of the Spirit and Johannine pneumatology (e.g., the Paraclete’s function and theological significance);
• Narrative and symbolism (e.g., the use of motifs such as light, water, and bread; character development; and narrative voice);
• The Gospel’s Jewish contexts (e.g., engagement with Second Temple Judaism, Jewish festivals, the use of Hebrew Scripture);
• Comparative studies with the Synoptic Gospels (e.g., theological divergence, narrative contrasts, literary interplay);
• Themes of belief, knowledge, and eternal life (e.g., Johannine soteriology and epistemology);
• The historical and social context of the Johannine community (e.g., sociological and historical–critical approaches);
• Scriptural intertextuality (e.g., the reuse and reinterpretation of biblical texts);
• Trinitarian theology in John (e.g., relationships among the Father, Son, and Spirit);
• Reception history and Patristic interpretation (e.g., how John was read in early Christian communities);
• Philosophical and ethical engagements (e.g., philosophical resonances, contemporary ethical readings);
• John in liturgy, art, and culture (e.g., the Gospel’s impact on Christian worship, visual arts, music, and literature).

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution to the Guest Editor or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Jaya Liu (jaya.liu@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Martin Micallef
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• theological interpretation
• narrative theology
• christological analysis
• pneumatological approach
• symbolic interpretation
• trinitarian reading
• historical–contextual analysis
• literary–critical method
• reception history
• intertextual reading