This online independent study course will provide a glimpse of the theological developments that the Fathers of the Church have discovered in St. John’s Gospel. This course will focus on using Catholic principles for Scriptural interpretation to unravel the reasons the Church Fathers considered this the “spiritual gospel” with significant differences from the synoptic writers. Students who complete this course should be able to explain John’s way of presenting the Trinity and the two natures of Jesus; describe John’s development of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and analyze the importance of the sacraments and the role of Mary in this gospel often referred to as the Catholic Gospel.