Die Ethik des Johannesevangeliums im sprachlichen Feld des Handelns

Johannine ethics have been given little attention, particularly in past research. Karl Weyer-Menkhoff challenges this traditional consensus and attempts to show the extent to which the Gospel of John, which has been seen as the »spiritual Gospel« (Clement of Alexandria) since the earliest times, is also permeated by the idea of the deed. The pivotal question is what line of moral reasoning the Gospel of John induces us to follow. The answer to this cannot be found in the principles or the commandments or virtues of human actions; instead of this, Johannine ethics start with God's words and deeds. In this way, the Gospel of John provides a comprehensive foundation for morality itself based on its narrative environment. In this context, the commandment to love does not seem to be a sparse remnant of early Christian ethics but rather the culmination of an often subtle narrative foundation for human actions.