Date of Graduation
Spring 2025
Degree
Master of Arts in Religious Studies
Department
Languages, Cultures & Religions (part of School of Humanities & Social Science)
Committee Chair
Leslie Baynes
Abstract
Traditionally, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” from the fourth of the Christian gospels has been identified as John the Apostle, one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, since at least the late second century. In recent scholarship, however, this position has come increasingly under question. Questions of John the Apostle’s literacy and capacity to write the gospel and doubts about the veracity of the eyewitness claims in the gospel have shifted the landscape of scholarly inquiry. As such, a wide variety of alternative candidates have been proposed. This thesis puts forward Lazarus of Bethany as a serious candidate for the honor. Using textual evidence from within the gospel itself, it is clear that Lazarus as the Beloved Disciple explains the unique qualities of the gospel and offers a fresh and sensible perspective through which to view its complexities.
Keywords
Lazarus, Beloved Disciple, Gospel of John, eyewitness, Papias, John the Apostle, John the son of Zebedee
Subject Categories
Christianity
Copyright
© Jared M. Pannell
Recommended Citation
Pannell, Jared M., ""See How He Loved Him": Lazarus of Bethany as the Beloved Disciple in the Gospel of John" (2025). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 4051.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/4051
