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For years scholars have debated the identity of the disciple named "Beloved" in the Fourth Gospel. Many have considered various men and women, but no one has considered the significance his age would play on his experience of Jesus. The stories of the Fourth Gospel and the way in which they are told highlight the emotional, mental, and sociological journey of a young person on his way to full adulthood. Using the research of scientists and historians, a case is made advocating the youthfulness of the Beloved Disciple, a Young Man between the ages of 13-16. Adolescents place great emphasis on relationships as they seek to know themselves in their social setting. Jesus becomes a teacher devoted to the adolescent, creating his identity as the "beloved." Considering the Beloved Disciple as an adolescent, gives new insight to Jewish / Christian relations and how young people are perceived in the modern Christian church. This theory will be beneficial to anyone studying the Gospel of John, dedicated to Jewish / Christian relations, or with a passion for ministry to teenagers.

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Whitney F. Altopp, M. Div: Studied for priesthood at the General Theological Seminary, ordained in 2003. She received a BA from Greenville College in Youth Ministry and Religion in 1994th Having served congregations in New York and New Jersey, she currently serves at St. Thomas´ Episcopal, White Marsh, in the Diocese of Pennsylvania.

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