'The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep' (John 10:11, 15, 17): Questioning the Limits of a Johannine Metaphor

Authors

Christopher W. Skinner, Loyola University ChicagoFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2018

Publication Title

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Volume

80

Abstract

Scholars have long recognized that the Good Shepherd discourse reflects a realistic picture of the ancient Palestinian shepherd and his relationship to the flock. But how far should the details in this metaphor be pressed? It is often asserted that any halfway decent shepherd would have been willing to die on behalf of his flock and that Jesus’ statement to that effect (10:11, 15, 17) reflects a common expectation. This scenario, however, would actually leave a flock more exposed to danger. Thus, it is appropriate to understand Jesus’ pronouncement as falling outside the realm of historical verisimilitude and better to regard the “laying down of the shepherd’s life” as the singular element of the discourse that is intended to advance the story’s christological agenda.

Issue

1

Pages

97-113

Comments

Author Posting. © Catholic Biblical Association 2018. This article is posted here by permission of the Catholic Biblical Association for personal use, not for redistribution. The article was published in Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 80, no. 1, 2018, https://catholicbiblical.org/publications/cbq/cbq-toc

Recommended Citation

Skinner, Christopher W.. 'The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep' (John 10:11, 15, 17): Questioning the Limits of a Johannine Metaphor. Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 80, 1: 97-113, 2018. Retrieved from Loyola eCommons, Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works,

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© Catholic Biblical Association 2018