THANKSGIVING AS AN EXPRESSION OF FAITH: A THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF JOHN 6:11
Keywords:
Johannine theology, thanksgiving, John 6:11, eucharisteō, faithAbstract
This study addresses a significant lacuna in Johannine scholarship: the theological role of thanksgiving in John 6:11 has been routinely acknowledged but rarely subjected to sustained analysis. While the Synoptic parallels employ eulogeō, John's deliberate use of eucharisteō raises critical questions regarding the relationship between gratitude, revelation, and belief within the Fourth Gospel's narrative architecture. Employing a grammatical-historical exegesis integrated with narrative criticism and intertextual analysis of Second Temple Jewish berakhah traditions, this theological study examines the lexical, syntactical, and narrative features of John 6:11 within its immediate context and its function as a hermeneutical key for the ensuing Bread of Life discourse. The analysis demonstrates that thanksgiving in John's Gospel constitutes a distinct theological category rather than an incidental liturgical echo, functioning as a bridge between divine initiative and human response. The study's novelty lies in proposing a thanksgiving-faith model that illuminates the participatory and doxological character of Johannine faith, offering a fresh reading of the feeding miracle as a revelation of the Son's relationship with the Father. This model contributes to broader conversations on liturgical theology and spiritual formation, with particular relevance for contexts where gratitude occupies a central place in Christian piety.
Keywords: Johannine theology; thanksgiving; John 6:11; eucharisteō; faith
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