The sacramental debate in the Fourth Gospel.

Abstract

The question of sacramentality proved through symbolism in the Fourth Gospel has for many generations been one of the most hotly debated issues among scholars. It has been a bone of contention for several decades and it is still an unresolved debate. As Raymond E. Brown states "Perhaps on no other point of Johannine thought is there such a division among scholars. 1 Scholars from all schools take up and defend a variety of positions depending on their perception of the issue. One position is that in the Fourth Gospel there are many symbols and relevant texts which can be related sacramentally, while, on the other hand, John seems to omit altogether the accounts of the Baptism of Jesus and the Institution of the Eucharist, both cornerstones of the origin of the sacraments.2 Furthermore there are strong predispositions towards the Spiritualisierung of the symbols and the related texts. This is the kernel of the debate: whether the Fourth Evangelist is anti-sacramental or not. 3 At this point it is important to note that scholars who have taken up positions do not fall into staunch confessional groups and it is interesting to realise that the defence of the explicit links between John and the Christian sacramental system is not the sole domain of Catholics. By the same token it would be dangerous to declare that the rejection of sacramental teaching in John is only found in radical Protestant scholarship. However for the purpose of this essay we would identify two distinct positions: The Ultra-sacramental Approach having Oscar Cullman as its main defender of sacramentality in John and The Non-sacramental Approach with Rudolf Bultmann leading the charge against.