DESCRIPTION:

This course is an exegesis of the Greek text of the Gospel of John, looking at the literary character and structure of the Gospel as a whole, and more closely at the interpretation of specific passages.

The purpose of the course is to help students to read the Gospel of John perceptively and thoughtfully (in Greek and in English) for their own benefit, and ultimately for the benefit of others, whether in the church or in the public square.

The course will meet daily for two weeks for four-hour class sessions. There will be two main aspects to the course: (1) Class discussion of the text, including translation of the Greek; (2) Lectures to facilitate understanding of the text.

The Gospel of John. A good modern translation (RSV; NRSV; NIV, TNIV, ESV, etc.)

A critical text of the Greek New Testament (preferably Nestle-Aland 26th or 27th edition).

Michaels, J. Ramsey. John. NIBC 4. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989.

Two rather controversial recent works on John (chosen for that reason):

Gundry, Robert H. Jesus the Word according to John the Sectarian. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Reinhartz, Adele. Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John. New York and London: Continuum, 2001.

See the Biblical Division bibliography "Linguistic and Exegetical Books Required in the Master of Divinity Program" available in the SOT Academic Advising office.

See p. 365 in my commentary (For Further Reading). Among the works listed I would single out five as indispensable for exegesis:

Abbott, E. A. Johannine Grammar. Adam & Charles Black, 1906.

Barrett, C. K. The Gospel According to St. John. 2d ed., Westminster, 1978.

Brown, R. E. The Gospel According to John. 2 vols. Doubleday, 1966, 1970.

Bultmann, R. The Gospel of John. Westminster, 1971.

Schnackenburg, R. Gospel According to St. John. 3 vols., Seabury, 1980-1982.

To those listed, I would add (by way of update):

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Eerdmans, 1991.

Keener, C. The Gospel of John. Hendrickson, 2003.

Moloney, F. J. The Gospel of John. Liturgical Press, 1998.

1. Regular preparation for and participation in class discussions of the text, including oral and written translation of the Greek (30% of the grade).

2. Three written assignments dealing with exegesis of specific passages (30% of the grade). Due July 7, 11, and 14.

3. A final paper, "Hearing the Gospel of John in the 21st Century" (10-15 pages) interacting with the Gundry and Reinhartz volumes on the basis of what you have learned from the text of John's Gospel during these two weeks (40% of the grade). Due August 19.