Die kognitive Dimension des Kreuzes

Some exegetes claim that Jesus' death in the Fourth Gospel does not have any theological significance, whereas other believe that there is a theology of the cross in the Fourth Gospel. In view of this situation, Jesper Tang Nielsen attempts to define the narrative structures of the Fourth Gospel. On the basis of a semiotic interpretation of Aristotle's Poetics, he distinguishes between the cognitive and the pragmatic dimension of the narrative. He shows that the significance of Jesus' death is primarily in the cognitive dimension. It is the essential prerequisite for the final recognition of the Son of God. Against this background, it can also be seen as the reason for the gathering of the community of believers and as the source of their cult. Thus the death of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel is neither insignificant, nor does it comply with traditional theological categories.