Every Letter Tells a Story: Mission and Unity at Odds in the Local Church: A Socio-Narrative Analysis of 3 John
3 John is the shortest book in the New Testament. It seems to lack specific doctrinal content and it is thus often neglected. This article employs a socio-narrative analysis to place the letter within a broader narrative framework. It then considers how the letter poetically restructures the origina...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publ.
2011
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| In: |
Pacifica
Year: 2011, Volume: 24, Issue: 3, Pages: 267-282 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | 3 John is the shortest book in the New Testament. It seems to lack specific doctrinal content and it is thus often neglected. This article employs a socio-narrative analysis to place the letter within a broader narrative framework. It then considers how the letter poetically restructures the original narrative sequence to serve its persuasive intention. The persuasive intention of 3 John is critically tested against certain compliance-gaining theories. The way in which characters function within letters is considered, and from this the symbolic worldview that forms the interpretative background to the letter's intention is constructed. The article shows that, at its core, the letter is doctrinal since the character of God and God's purpose for the world ultimately determine its contents and intention. Mission is shown to be a key factor by which the church is defined and Christians' commitment to this cause becomes a touchstone reflecting their relationship to God. |
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| ISSN: | 1839-2598 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Pacifica
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/1030570X1102400304 |