Papers by Johnson Thomaskutty
Journal for the Study of New Testament, 2024
This article analyses NT translation in the Indian context with a focus on John 10.1-18 in the Sa... more This article analyses NT translation in the Indian context with a focus on John 10.1-18 in the Satya Veda Pusthakam (SVP), a Malayalam version of the Bible. The colonial context in which this translation was produced is first outlined, showing how this context and its accompanying ideology shaped approaches to translation. This led to a translation that does not reflect the culture or language of subaltern communities, but reinforces dominant class ideology in its adoption of English and Sanskritized style. These issues are illustrated through a closer analysis of John 10.1-18 in the SVP. Finally, the essay explores the ways in which translation can enable communication between cultures, and argues for a decolonized approach to biblical translation in the Indian context. The challenge of decolonization might continue to reshape NT studies in India as the indigenous and subaltern communities get involved in Bible translation and interpretation of the text.
Biblical Studies Journal, 2023
This article develops a new way forward in interpreting the Fourth Gospel by taking into consider... more This article develops a new way forward in interpreting the Fourth Gospel by taking into consideration the feelings and aspirations of all levels of people in the Johannine situation. A reader of John can perceive how the narrator facilitates academic thinking and ordinary feelings and aspirations in her or his master plan. With that view in mind, the article elaborates the introductory statements followed by describing the riddling language of the Fourth Gospel, understand the progressive category of people within the Johannine narrative framework, ordinary people within the Johannine context, people’s level of knowledge in John’s community, practice of ekklēsio-academics in John’s community, and doing ekklēsio-academics in India. The article ends with a concluding section.
Dialogue in the Book of Signs offers a polyvalent analysis of John 1:19-12:50 at the micro-, meso... more Dialogue in the Book of Signs offers a polyvalent analysis of John 1:19-12:50 at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. With the help of several synchronic methods, including genre, narrative, rhetorical, and dramatic, the author analyzes the content, form, and function of John’s dialogue.
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies
This article proposed a polyvalent hermeneutical paradigm to evolve multiple meanings and diverge... more This article proposed a polyvalent hermeneutical paradigm to evolve multiple meanings and divergent voices embedded within and beyond the text. Polyvalent hermeneutic considers multiple aspects, spectrums, consciousnesses and vantage points in the process of interpretation. Its five paradigms are as follows: ‘behind’ and ‘toward’, ‘within’ and ‘out of’, ‘in front’ and ‘into’, ‘under’ and ‘unto’ and ‘above’ and ‘beyond.’ These paradigms mainly develop in two directions: firstly, a horizontal direction in which ‘behind’ and ‘toward’ and ‘in front’ and ‘into’ paradigms are mediated through ‘within’ and ‘out of’ paradigm and secondly, a vertical direction in which ‘under’ and ‘unto’ and ‘above’ and ‘beyond’ paradigms are mediated through ‘within’ and ‘out of’ paradigm. Through these paradigms and movements, an interpreter conceptualizes the overall potential of the text. An analytic and synthetic approach plays a significant role in polyvalent hermeneutic. Within its hermeneutical framework, a reader investigates the text from historical, literary, contextual, sociological and ideological perspectives.
BIBLICAL STUDIES JOURNAL
With a sense of postmodern understanding of the rejection of absolute truth and the embrace of re... more With a sense of postmodern understanding of the rejection of absolute truth and the embrace of relativism, the Fourth Gospel has to be treated with a balanced understanding of it. The present essay attempts to answer the following questions: Does John’s Gospel bridge the gap between the ‘local’ and the ‘global’? How does John attempt to present his theology with a gnomic intent? Does John contribute something significant to the contextual realities of the postmodern world? And how does John’s theology function at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of his narrative framework? Analyzing the entire gospel verse-by-verse is not the concern of this essay. Rather we will consider three important aspects seriously: first, the ‘global’ aspects of the Gospel in relation to the ‘local’ concerns; second, the Trinitarian nature of John’s theology and its significance in a glocalized and at the same time postmodern cultural context; and third, the mission theology of John in relation to a globa...
Dialogue in the Book of Signs, 2015
Australian Biblical Review, 2023
JOHNSON THOMASKUTTY, The Gospel of John: Contemporary Readings.
(Bangalore: Omega Book World, 202... more JOHNSON THOMASKUTTY, The Gospel of John: Contemporary Readings.
(Bangalore: Omega Book World, 2023). Pp. xviii + 284. Hardback.
INR ₹800.00.
ACTS Theological Journal, 2023
This article attempts to re-read the poetical passages of the New Testament with a focus on their... more This article attempts to re-read the poetical passages of the New Testament with a focus on their significance in the multi-religious, multicultural, and pluralistic context of India. It is an initiative to integrate the poetical and musical aspects of the NT in convergence with the Indian
HTS Theological Studies, 2023
This article proposed a polyvalent hermeneutical paradigm to evolve multiple meanings and diverge... more This article proposed a polyvalent hermeneutical paradigm to evolve multiple meanings and divergent voices embedded within and beyond the text. Polyvalent hermeneutic considers multiple aspects, spectrums, consciousnesses and vantage points in the process of interpretation. Its five paradigms are as follows: ‘behind’ and ‘toward’, ‘within’ and ‘out of’, ‘in front’ and ‘into’, ‘under’ and ‘unto’ and ‘above’ and ‘beyond.’ These paradigms mainly develop in two directions: firstly, a horizontal direction in which ‘behind’ and ‘toward’ and ‘in front’ and ‘into’ paradigms are mediated through ‘within’ and ‘out of’ paradigm and secondly, a vertical direction in which ‘under’ and ‘unto’ and ‘above’ and ‘beyond’ paradigms are mediated through ‘within’ and ‘out of’ paradigm. Through these paradigms and movements, an interpreter conceptualizes the overall potential of the text. An analytic and synthetic approach plays a significant role in polyvalent hermeneutic. Within its hermeneutical framework, a reader investigates the text from historical, literary, contextual, sociological and ideological perspectives.
Biblical Studies Journal, 2023
With a sense of postmodern understanding of the rejection of absolute truth and the embrace of re... more With a sense of postmodern understanding of the rejection of absolute truth and the embrace of relativism, the Fourth Gospel has to be treated with a balanced understanding of it. The present essay attempts to answer the following questions: Does John’s Gospel bridge the gap between the ‘local’ and the ‘global’? How does John attempt to present his theology with a gnomic intent? Does John contribute something significant to the contextual realities of the postmodern world? And how does John’s theology function at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of his narrative framework? Analyzing the entire gospel verse-by-verse is not the concern of this essay. Rather we will consider three important aspects seriously: first, the ‘global’ aspects of the Gospel in relation to the ‘local’ concerns; second, the Trinitarian nature of John’s theology and its significance in a glocalized and at the same time postmodern cultural context; and third, the mission theology of John in relation to a globalized cosmic order. The task of the essay is not analyzing the Gospel as a whole. It is rather to develop an interpretative frame for the Gospel in a globalized and postmodern social context.
Studies in Christian Ethics
The challenge to decolonise academic disciplines has been pertinent for many decades, but it has ... more The challenge to decolonise academic disciplines has been pertinent for many decades, but it has recently come to a new level of prominence, with vigorous discussion of what responding to this challenge might entail. This article explores what it might mean as an ethical challenge in the discipline of New Testament studies, using examples to illustrate two key (and related) tasks: the ‘parochialisation’ of European approaches to the discipline, and the paying of attention to perspectives from elsewhere in the world. After a brief introduction to the decolonial challenge, there follows a brief survey of changing perspectives on the tasks of biblical studies, beginning with Johann Phillip Gabler's influential lecture from 1787, then C.H. Dodd's 1936 inaugural lecture, through to the more recent assessments of Markus Bockmuehl and Martin Hengel. This is followed by a survey of works of New Testament Introduction, moving from the classic work of Werner Georg Kümmel to the very r...
One Gospel, Many Cultures
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies
This article re-reads John 17:1–26 with a focus on the theme of oneness within the micronarrative... more This article re-reads John 17:1–26 with a focus on the theme of oneness within the micronarrative. A multilayered and polyvalent analysis of the text reveals that the theme of oneness holds the prayer together to suggest a new way forward for the Johannine community. The vision and the missio-praxis expressed in the prayer align the thought patterns of Jesus, the narrator, and the community of John. The interactions and the resultant wider perichōrētic relationships between Father and Jesus, Jesus and believers, Father and believers, believer(s) and believer(s), Father–Jesus–believers and Paraklētos and Father–Son–Paraklētos–believers and the World exist as a paradigm for today’s ecclesiastical bodies and theological institutions and organisations for wider ecumenism and dialogue.Contribution: This article discusses the theme of oneness in John 17:1–26 as a paradigm for wider ecumenism and dialogue. As HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies emphasises biblical, ecumenical and di...
Evangelical Review of Theology, 2022
AINT’s 573 pages of text contain an introduction and 23 chapters. Each chapter starts with the us... more AINT’s 573 pages of text contain an introduction and 23 chapters. Each chapter starts with the usual questions of authorship, date, genre and purpose; the final part of each chapter relates the message and themes of the NT book to Asian realities. Overall, AINT is a good fit for both undergraduate or graduate courses such as NT introduction, NT theology, hermeneutics (especially global hermeneutics in non-Western contexts) or similar courses.
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2022
The challenge to decolonise academic disciplines has been pertinent for many decades, but it has ... more The challenge to decolonise academic disciplines has been pertinent for many decades, but it has recently come to a new level of prominence, with vigorous discussion of what responding to this challenge might entail. This article explores what it might mean as an ethical challenge in the discipline of New Testament studies, using examples to illustrate two key (and related) tasks: the 'parochialisation' of European approaches to the discipline, and the paying of attention to perspectives from elsewhere in the world. After a brief introduction to the decolonial challenge, there follows a brief survey of changing perspectives on the tasks of biblical studies, beginning with Johann Phillip Gabler's influential lecture from 1787, then C.H. Dodd's 1936 inaugural lecture, through to the more recent assessments of Markus Bockmuehl and Martin Hengel. This is followed by a survey of works of New Testament Introduction, moving from the classic work of Werner Georg Kümmel to the very recent Asian Introduction to the New Testament, edited by Johnson Thomaskutty. Finally, in light of these surveys, this article offers some reflections on decolonisation and the future(s) of New Testament studies. These reflections may suggest both parallels for the discipline of Christian ethics, and implications for the nature of the relationship between biblical studies and Christian ethics.
HTS Theological Studies , 2022
Oneness in John's Gospel with special focus on John 17:1-26
Biblical Studies Journal
This article introduces some of the themes and structural dynamics of the Fourth Gospel in closer... more This article introduces some of the themes and structural dynamics of the Fourth Gospel in closer integration with the religio-cultural aspects of the South Asian context. As John’s Gospel has the potential to appeal to and accommodate the spirituality of South Asia, a re-reading of the Gospel is possible through the means of a crosspollination of ideas. The four major parts of the Gospel, i.e., the Prologue, the Book of Signs, the Book of Glory, and the Epilogue, demonstrate several cultural and ideological parallels with that of the South Asian realities. A reading that encourages religio-cultural sensitivity can be a required formative factor in the process of interpreting the Fourth Gospel. Some of the key aspects of the Gospel such as the theme of discipleship, the sign language, the “I AM” Sayings, the characters and the characterization, mystical expressions, and dualistic tendencies can be dynamically interlocked within the South Asian ideological and cultural aspects. The u...
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Papers by Johnson Thomaskutty
(Bangalore: Omega Book World, 2023). Pp. xviii + 284. Hardback.
INR ₹800.00.
(Bangalore: Omega Book World, 2023). Pp. xviii + 284. Hardback.
INR ₹800.00.