Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 28:1 (Sep 2019)
Article: Is John’s Λόγος Christology A Polemical Response To Philo Of Alexandria’s Logos Philosophy? (Part 2)
Author: Robert Peltier

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Conspectus 28:1 (September 2019) p. 91

Is John’s Λόγος Christology A Polemical Response To Philo Of Alexandria’s Logos Philosophy? (Part 2)

Robert Peltier

and

Dan Lioy

Keywords

Christology, Gospel of John, Hellenism, Logos, Philo of Alexandria, Philosophy, Prologue, Exegesis

About The Authors1

Robert Peltier

Mr Peltier received his Bachelor of Theology from Northpoint Bible College (formerly Zion Bible College), M.A. Old Testament from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and an M.A. Biblical Languages from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Dan Lioy

PhD, North-West University, The Senior Research Manager at the South African Theological Seminary, Dan has a particular research interest in intertextuality, Biblical ethics and spiritual care in professional settings.

Abstract

This journal article is the second in a two-part series that examines the Prologue to the Gospel of John (1:1–18) as a Christological statement for the purpose of repudiating Philo of Alexandria’s philosophical logos. In Part Two, we exegete Philo of Alexandria’s writings for the purpose of determining his logos philosophy, which is then compared and contrasted with John’s Christological Logos. Philo’s logos is shown to be a metaphysical construct built upon the syncretization of the philosophical Greek logos with an allegorical interpretation of the Pentateuch. John’s Christological Logos theology is shown to have no commonality with the Philonic logos. Further, the Logos described in the Prologue cannot be viewed, as some scholars have suggested, as merely the next logical step in the development of Philo’s mythological logos writings. Thus, John’s description of the Christological Logos may be viewed as a carefully constructed polemical statement opposing the Philonic logos.

This article: https://www.sats.edu.za/peltier-lioy-is-johns-christology-a-polemic-response-2

Conspectus 28:1 (September 2019) p. 92

1. Introduction

In Part One of this article, an exegesis of the Prologue to the Gospel of John (1:1–18) was used to prepare ten important statements about John’s Logos Christology. In Part Two, we will explore Philo of Alexandria’s use of a logos motif within Hellenistic Judaistic thought. A comparison of these two belief systems will reveal whether John’s description of the Logos is merely an extension of the Greek logos or if the Prologue is a polemical statement a...

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