Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John
Ebook
This volume contends that the Gospel of John presents the most thorough and robust Wisdom Christology of all the New Testament books. Wisdom Christology--the christological concept that applies the roles, characteristics, and functions of God's personified wisdom to the man Jesus Christ--is displayed to be skillfully interwoven throughout all twenty-one chapters of the Fourth Gospel, starting with the famous prologue. In response to the prevailing tendency among interpreters to project postbiblical understandings of Jesus from the fourth- and fifth-century church councils back into the Gospel of John, this volume shows that a more fitting context emerges from Jewish Wisdom literature. By situating the Johannine Jesus in his first-century Jewish context, readers can appreciate John's commitment to monotheism and Jesus' role as the Father's highly empowered human agent, fully embodying Lady Wisdom.
“Dustin Smith makes accessible to the non-specialist readers the rich interplay between the Gospel of John and Jewish Wisdom literature. Drawing on the canonical books and intertestamental texts, the figure of Lady Wisdom is shown to be a major lens through which Jesus is portrayed in this Gospel. Smith’s excellent study hopefully opens up the Wisdom literature as an essential part of late second-Temple Jewish theology, and therefore a necessary part of the world of the first believers and evangelists.”
—Mary Coloe, professor emerita of New Testament, University of Divinity, Melbourne
“Is the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of John shaped by Jewish Wisdom theology? You may not agree with every claim made in this thorough and methodical investigation, but it’s hard to resist Dustin Smith’s overall thesis that John’s account of Jesus’ career retraces the story of the sending of personified divine Wisdom into the world. His book is an excellent entry point to this field of study.”
—Andrew Perriman, associate research fellow, London School of Theology
“The Jewish tradition of personifying God’s Wisdom is one of the key backgrounds to the portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of John, and one that today’s readers are liable to miss. Dustin Smith helpfully brings the background material in the Jewish scriptures and Christian writings together with an exploration of this theme in the Gospel of John itself. The result is a very useful resource that will provide those who read the Gospel in conjunction with it a richer understanding of its Christology and of its narrative as a whole.”
—James F. McGrath, chair in New Testament language and literature, Butler University
- Title: Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John
- Author: Dustin R. Smith
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9798385211418, 9798385211401, 9798385211395
- Resource ID: LLS:9798385211418
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-27T20:35:38Z
Dustin R. Smith is a New Testament scholar at Spartanburg Methodist College (Spartanburg, South Carolina). He is the coauthor of The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus (2015), co-editor of the AI Critical New Testament (2023), and the host of The Biblical Unitarian Podcast.
Reviews
1 rating
Elijah Slavit
5/29/2024
How in the world can there be a Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John? Sophia, the Greek term for Wisdom, isn't even mentioned in the fourth Gospel! Yet, Dr. Dustin Smith's compelling research reveals that the concept of wisdom forms the very essence of John's testimony. Smith does an excellent job of connecting the Jewish wisdom literature and the Gospel of John for all persons to understand, as well as offering valid reasons for the Jewish author to draw upon the Septuagint as influence for his writing the Gospel. Pulling from the rich Wisdom traditions of Proverbs, Job, Psalms, and intertestamental texts like Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach, Smith demonstrates that by the first century, God's word and wisdom were considered synonymous. This equivalence is crucial to understanding how John presents Jesus, not as a pre-existent divine figure as has been the popularized view since early Christianity, but as the incarnate expression of God's creative and guiding wisdom. While much of Christianity has understood Logos as it relates to Hellenism, Smith offers a stronger case for the background of John’s Gospel, rooting the author’s purpose in the Judean background. This perspective challenges traditional interpretations and does a great job inviting readers to see the Gospel of John through the eyes of a first-century Jew. I have found Smith's work to offer a treasure trove of insights for my own life. John's depiction of Jesus aligns with the personified Wisdom that guided, taught, and revealed God's ways to humanity, and for all believing Christians, Wisdom is present today through understanding the person and work of Jesus found in the fourth Gospel. For anyone grappling with the distinctiveness of John's Gospel or seeking a deeper understanding of its theological meanings, Smith's book is an essential read. Whether you're a scholar, a lay reader, or someone with a keen interest in early Christian thought, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John will undoubtedly offer great insight into the heart of the fourth Gospel. Be sure to grab a highlighter, pen, and a comfortable seat as you unpack the rich intertextual play of John’s Gospel as it relates Lady Wisdom.