It certainly seems that way right out of the gate. The cosmic Christ is right there at the start: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." Along with the Christ Hymn of Colossians 1, the Logos of John is Cosmic Christology 101.
And yet, this cosmic Christology quickly runs into a recurrent Johannine dualism. Very quickly in John 1 we arrive at this:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
It's true that the Jesus of John is more cosmic and mystical. But it's also true that the Johannine community shared many of the metaphysical sensibilities of the Qumran community, and that both communities trafficked a lot in dualisms. Death and Life. Light and Darkness. Christ and the World. Consider from John 3 and 12:
"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light."
This contrast between the "Children of Light" and the "Children of Darkness" is a dualism common to both the Johannine and Qumran communities. Other strong dualisms abound in John. For example, some selected sayings of Jesus from the gospel of John:
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3.36)"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of Man and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." (John 5.28-29)"Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires." (John 8.43-44)"Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." (John 8.47)“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” (John 9.39)"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." (John 15.5-6)“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15.18-19)"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." (John 17.15-16)
As I mentioned in my last post, these dualisms have to handled with great care. And I understand the impulse to either ignore them or sweep them away. Truly, I have great sympathy for this sort of concern.
But my point here is that we're not doing the gospel of John justice if we think that his "high Christology," John's more cosmic and mystical Jesus, doesn't traffic in dualisms. John's Jesus most certainly does. A high Christology doesn't necessarily imply nondualism. In fact, John's high Christology seems to highlight, deepen, and up the stakes of the dualisms. We're not just contrasting good versus bad moral actions but speaking of a metaphysical clash between Light and Darkness.
