Discovering John

by Ruth Edwards

Publisher:

SPCK

, 2003

Overview

The Gospel of John has been the subject of intense scrutiny for centuries. It has profoundly shaped Christian doctrine and inspired artists, musicians, theologians and ordinary Christians. Despite the Gospel's ability to communicate the good news to the simple believer while concurrently plumbing the depths of Christian faith for the sophisticated, it has been sharply criticized as “world-denying,” “andocentric” and “anti-Jewish.” What should we make of a Gospel that provokes such diverse reactions? Does John still have meaning for the Church and contemporary society? Does it need to be reinterpreted for today's world? Is it anti-Semitic? In this masterly study, Ruth Edwards seeks to help those interested in this provocative Gospel decide for themselves the answers to these and other questions.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Over the centuries John’s Gospel¹ has inspired artists and musicians, theologians, poets and thinkers, and countless ordinary Christians. It has sustained faith, aroused love, and encouraged heroism. Viewed as the high point of New Testament theology, it has profoundly shaped Christian doctrine. In patristic and medieval times John was symbolized as an eagle, ‘the spiritual bird, fast-flying, God-seeing’ (Eriugena),² an image still used in Church art. His Gospel has been seen as both speaking tellingly to the simple believer, and plumbing the depths of the Christian faith for the sophisticated (cf. Marsh, 1968, p. 81). But John has been criticized as ‘world-denying’ and ‘sectarian’, ‘androcentric’, and ‘anti-Jewish’—‘a Gospel of Christian love and Jew hatred’ (Kohler, 1905, p. 251).” (Page 1)

“The ‘sign’ at Cana illustrates both the joys and the problems of studying John. A simple narrative is packed with potential symbolism with seemingly endless interpretative possibilities. There is no sure way of determining how many of these were intended by the Evangelist. All we can say is that he deliberately chose this ‘sign’ to open his account of Jesus’ active ministry. Its most important message is probably that Jesus is God’s eschatological agent in dispensing good gifts in the form of wine, a symbol of joy and of the ‘messianic’ age.” (Page 52)

“To sum up the position so far: some of John’s intended audience must have been pagans, for whom he included his explanations of Jewish customs; but many were Jews or Jewish Christians.” (Page 40)

Product Details

• Title: Discovering John
• Author: Ruth Edwards
• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 208

About Ruth Edwards

Ruth Edwards is a Scottish Episcopalian priest who has taught at the Universities of Aberdeen and Oxford. An expert in the book of John, she has participated in the John Seminar at the yearly British New Testament Conference.