The Concepts of Death and Life in the Acts of John: A Comparison with Philo of Alexandria

The article argues that the categories of ‘dead’ and ‘alive’ in the Acts of John are less ambiguous than some scholars assume, but that they often univocally refer to the death and the life of the soul. The second scholarly assumption I criticise is that these categories have a metaphorical meaning. Instead of metaphorically expressing the state of conversion of people, they denote the ontological status of the soul. ‘Dying’ refers to an ontological transformation of human beings into irrational beasts; the human soul changes into a beast’s soul. Finally, through a comparison with the writings of Philo of Alexandria, I explain particular characteristics of the concepts of death and life in the Acts of John. The author of the Acts of John is either directly dependent on Philo or stands in the same Alexandrian platonic tradition.