This is one of the best introductions to the Gospel of John that I know. But it is not the typical introduction that spends all its time on authorship, date, audience, etc. Rather, Kysar wants to introduce us to the thought world and symbolism of this literary/theological work in a non-technical fashion. His hope is to accomplish three objectives:
- to stress the uniqueness of the Fourth Gospel among the literature of the early Christian movement
- to set the thought and symbolism in the broader context of the universal religious quest of humanity
- to keep the reader engaged in the text of the gospel itself
Chapter 1: The Father's Son - Johannine Christology
Chapter 2: Two Different Worlds - Johannine Dualism
Chapter 3: Seeing Is Believing - Johannine concepts of Faith
Chapter 4: Eternity Is Now - Johannine Eschatology
Each time I begin a new study of the John's Gospel, the first book to come off the shelf is John, The Maverick Gospel. That's why I've got at my desk right now. It clearly has the revJohn Seal of Approval.
2 comments:
You can't do much better than having the revJohn seal of approval. That is certainly good enough for me! I will buy it and let you know what I think. Anything that illuminates John is welcome!
Kysar certainly shares some deep and observant insights. I find Raymond Brown's (Anchor Bible series) seminal treatments more worthwhile across the board.
Kysar seems a bit more biased at times -- such as in his over-wrought anti-anti-Semitic material (pp. 67f). I think he's reading 20th and 21st-century concerns into John there. But I'm gaining a lot presently from the treatment of the semeia opposite faith and progress in believing.
Post a Comment