JOHN’S CHURCH AS AN „ANTI-COMMUNITY” IN THE SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE OF BRUCE J. MALINA

Abstract

This study discusses John’s community in the view of disciplines such as linguistics and sociolinguistics. Using the speech accommodation theory and the perspective of language and anti-language, B.J. Malina, an American exegete, finds characteristic traits of the group gathered around the beloved disciple in the text of the fourth Gospel. These traits include isolation from the society in the broad sense, as well as the language of high christology, that is, the anti-language. This allows Malina to refer to John’s community as an „anti-community” or an „alternative group”.

Keywords

• Gospel according to John
• John’s Church
• anti-community
• anti-language
• sociolinguistic perspective