John

Warren Carter

Description

The Final Volume in a Well-Received Gospel StudyJohn: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist is an accessible introduction to the Fourth Gospel. This book examines three aspects of John's Gospel: John's telling of the story of Jesus, his interpretation of Jesus for his readers, and his formulation of all of this into the Gospel of Jesus.Carter surveys the central issues of this Gospel and engages with narrative and historical approaches, the two dominant methods used in interpreting John's Gospel. In addition, he introduces his readers to a consideration of the Gospel's negotiation of the Roman imperial world.This book is written for college and seminary students, clergy seeking resources for teaching and preaching, and the laity, especially Bible study groups who like to engage a topic in some depth.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441237163
• Langue: English

Extrait

JOHN

2006 by Warren Carter
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Baker Academic edition published 2010
Previously published in 2006 by Hendrickson Publishers
Ebook edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3716-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Cover Art: Makoto Fujimura. Zero Summer. Mineral Pigments and Gold on Kumohada paper. Photograph by Ed Gorn.
Zero Summer imagines the unimaginable horror of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and yet points to epiphanic awakening that transcends human imagination at the same time. T. S. Eliot, who coined this term in his Four Quartets, longed for that eternal summer, birthed out of the still point, where imagination is met with grace and truth. -Makoto Fujimura
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
John: Storyteller
Chapter 1: The Genre of John s Gospel
Chapter 2: The Plot of John s Gospel
Chapter 3: Characters: God and Jesus
Chapter 4: Other Characters
Chapter 5: Johnspeak: The Gospel s Distinctive, Dualistic Language
Chapter 6: Telling the Story: John s Style
John: Interpreter
Chapter 7: John: Interpreter of Scriptures and Sources about Jesus
Chapter 8: John: Interpreters for Changing Historical Circumstances
John: Evangelist
Chapter 9: John the Evangelist: Author and Author-ity
Chapter 10: The Good News according to John
Postscript: Good News? Reading John Today in Our Multireligious World
Bibliography
Index of Modern Authors
Index of Ancient Sources
Preface
This book is an introduction to the fourth gospel in the New Testament, the Gospel of John. It examines three aspects of John s gospel: its story of Jesus (chs. 1-6; genre, plot, characters, language, style), its interpretation of existing materials about Jesus for changing circumstances (chs. 7-8; sources, use of Scripture, historical context), and its formulation of the good news of Jesus (chs. 9-10; who John is, Johannine theology). That is, chapters 1-6 examine the work of John the storyteller, chapters 7-8 explore the work of John the interpreter, and chapters 9-10 discuss the work of John the evangelist. A postscript explores some implications of reading John s gospel in our contemporary, multireligious world.
The book is written for college and seminary students who are beginning New Testament studies or taking an elective after doing an introductory course. It is also written for clergy seeking resources for preaching and teaching, and for laity, especially Bible study groups who like to engage a topic in some depth. In addition to providing familiarity with central matters related to the gospel, it also engages the two dominant methods used in current interpretive work, namely, narrative and historical approaches to John s gospel. It thus includes both the synchronic and the diachronic approaches to the gospel, which pervade contemporary Johannine scholarship. Although the book treats narrative or literary matters first (chs. 1-6), readers could begin with the historical matters of chapters 7-8. I have sought to be both clear and as comprehensive as possible in covering significant issues in contemporary interpretation, though complete coverage is impossible.
In addition to its synthesis of existing material, the book introduces readers to a neglected element in Johannine interpretation, John s negotiation of the Roman imperial world. To engage the spiritual gospel in the context of the Roman imperial world will seem strange to some readers, especially those who are convinced that religion has nothing to do with politics and that any interpretation suggesting such a link must have an agenda foreign to John s gospel (as though nonpolitical, spiritual readings do not have an agenda!). This element, though important, nevertheless constitutes a minor part of this volume. John and Empire (Harrisburg, Pa.: Trinity Press International, forthcoming) will elaborate this dimension in a more sustained discussion.
Limits of space have prevented offering a detailed history of scholarship,[ 1 ] and I am very aware that every part of this book could be expanded at great length. But in the interests of providing an accessible introduction, I have sought to provide manageable discussion that names at least some of the key issues. The interpretive literature on John s gospel is wonderfully extensive, diverse, and insightful. Regrettably, only partial bibliography is possible, but I have endeavored to provide enough resources, especially English-language ones, in endnotes to enable readers to pursue issues profitably. I do not, of course, pretend that this discussion, given limits of space, is comprehensive or representative of all voices and perspectives.
I wish to thank three people in particular for their contribution to this book. Professors Sharon Ringe, Frank Moloney, and Bob Kysar graciously read an early version of the manuscript and provided me with valuable and insightful feedback and encouragement. I am very grateful for their input, time, energy, wisdom, and expertise. Together they have made immense contributions to contemporary Johannine scholarship, as these pages attest. The book s remaining inadequacies, of course, are my responsibility.
I also wish to thank Lee Franklin, Ashkea Herron, and Ashley Cheung for their insightful and generous contribution to the manuscript. Likewise, Shirley Decker-Lucke has been a skilled and patient editor. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute another volume to Hendrickson s quartet of books on the Gospels: W. Carter, Matthew: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist (rev. ed., 2004); F. Moloney, Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist (2004); and M. Parsons, Luke: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist (forthcoming).
Warren Carter
Notes
1 . For maps of contemporary scholarship, see R. Kysar, The Fourth Evangelist and His Gospel: An Examination of Contemporary Scholarship (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1975); R. Kysar, The Fourth Gospel: A Report on Recent Research, ANRW 25.3:2389-480; G. Sloyan, What Are They Saying about John? (New York: Paulist, 1991); H. K. Nelson, Johannine Research, in New Readings in John: Literary and Theological Perspectives from the Scandinavian Conference on the Fourth Gospel, Arhus, 1997 (ed. J. Nissen and S. Pedersen; JSNTSup 182; Sheffield, Eng.: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), 11-30; D. M. Smith, Johannine Studies since Bultmann, WW 21 (2001): 343-51; U. Schnelle, Recent Views of John s Gospel, WW 21 (2001): 352-59; R. Brown, An Introduction to the Gospel of John (ed. F. Moloney; New York: Doubleday, 2003), 26-39 and passim.
Abbreviations
General B.C.E. before the Common Era ca. circa C.E. Common Era cf. confer , compare ch(s). chapter(s) diss. dissertation ed(s). editor(s), edited by e.g. exempli gratia , for example esp. especially et al. et alii , and others etc. et cetera , and the rest i.e. id est , that is ibid. ibidem , in the same place lit. literally n(n). note(s) NRSV New Revised Standard Version p(p). page(s) repr. reprinted rev. revised (by) RSV Revised Standard Version v(v). verse(s) vol(s). volume(s)
HebrewBible/Old Testament Gen Genesis Exod Exodus Lev Leviticus Num Numbers Deut Deuteronomy Josh Joshua 1-2 Sam 1-2 Samuel 1-2 Kgs 1-2 Kings 1-2 Chr 1-2 Chronicles Neh Nehemiah Ps Psalms Prov Proverbs Isa Isaiah Jer Jeremiah Ezek Ezekiel Dan Daniel Hos Hosea Mic Micah Zeph Zephaniah Zech Zechariah
New Testament Matt Matthew Rom Romans 1-2 Cor 1-2 Corinthians Gal Galatians Eph Ephesians 1-2 Tim 1-2 Timothy 1-2 Pet 1-2 Peter Rev Revelation
Apocrypha and Septuagint Bar Baruch Sir Sirach/Ecclesiasticus Wis Wisdom of Solomon
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 2 Bar. 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse) 1 En. 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse)
Josephus Life The Life Ant. Jewish Antiquities J.W. Jewish War
Ancient Christian and Non-Christian Writers Aristotle Poet. Poetica Poetics Eusebius Hist. eccl. Historia ecclesiastica Ecclesiastical History Irenaeus Haer. Adversus haereses Against Heresies Virgil Aen. Aeneid
Secondary Sources ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary . Edited by D. N. Freedman. 6 vols. New York, 1992 ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der r mischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung . Edited by H. Temporini and W. Haase Berlin, 1972- BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium BSac Bibliotheca sacra CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly ExpTim Expository Times JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series Neot Neotestamentica NovT Novum Testamentum NTS New Testament Studies SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series SBLSymS Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament . Edited by G. Kittel and G. Friedrich. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids, 1964-1976 WW Word and World
PART ONE
JOHN: STORYTELLER
C HAPTER 1
The Genre of John s Gospel
These are written so that . . . through believing you may have life in his name (20:31). This statement of the gospel s purpose appe