The relevance of social history to the interpretation of the Gospel according to John

Abstract

The relevance of a socio-historical reading of John's Gospel is illustrated through the analysis of John 2:1-11, 8:33-36 and 21:7. In each case a social senario of a particular situation is presented by utilizing different ancient sources. The results are then applied to the mentioned passages in John's Gospel in order to illustrate the relevance of a socio-historical reading of John.