Communio viatorum is a theological journal from Central European perspectives founded in 1958 by J. L. Hromádka and J. B. Souček, published by the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague three times a year.
Communio Viatorum seeks to promote research and scholarly debate in all theological disciplines. Since its foundation special attention has been paid to both biblical studies and Czech Protestant history. The journal is also interested in articles that reflect new accents within the field of theology as well as relevant challenges from neighbouring disciplines, developments in the Church worldwide as well as new moves within society. It seeks to promote an ongoing process of theological debate from a specific Central European Protestant background, but open to authors from all around the world and all denominations who wish to engage in such a conversation.
As of 2024, the journal Communio Viatorum has transitioned to an open-access publication, issued by Charles University Karolinum Press.
Articles published here are indexed in the ATLA Religion Database® and are included in the full-text ATLASerials® (ATLAS®) collection. They are also indexed and abstracted in the Web of Science – Arts and Humanities Citation Index® of Clarivate Analytics, in Scopus, in CEEOL, and in ERIH PLUS.
The previous journal homapage with an archive of published issues
COMMUNIO VIATORUM, Vol 68 No 1 (2026), 6–35
ArticleThe Concepts of Death and Life in the Acts of John: A Comparison with Philo of Alexandria
Thomas Tops
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/30296374.2026.8
published online: 01. 09. 2026
abstract
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.
keywords: Acts of John; Philo of Alexandria; Death; Life; The Death of the Soul
The Concepts of Death and Life in the Acts of John: A Comparison with Philo of Alexandria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
148 x 210 mm
periodicity: 3 x per year
print price: 500 czk
ISSN: 0010-3713
E-ISSN: 3029-6374
