Anti-Judaism, John the Baptist, and the Gospel of John

The subject of this thesis is the relationship between anti-Judaism and John the Baptist in the Gospel of John. The aim of this study is to use the Baptist's character as a means of better understanding the Evangelist's attitude towards the Jewish people and their religion.;Chapter 1 introduces this project by briefly describing the problematic language in the Gospel of John that has led to the accusation of anti-Judaism and establishing the need for this study. The second chapter explains the methodological approach that will guide this thesis. This is followed by a survey of the subject of anti-Judaism in the Gospel of John. Chapter 4 examines major Jewish religious institutions in the Gospel of John. The purpose of this chapter is to understand the Evangelist's attitude towards the Jewish people and Judaism. This is followed by a three-fold discussion of John the Baptist: (1) a brief historical examination; (2) John the Baptist in the Gospel of John; and (3) John the Baptist in the Synoptics.