Quest for the Origin of John's Gospel: A Source-Oriented Approach

by Thomas L. Brodie

Overview

Drawing on the insights of ancient literary theory and practice, this book seeks to unlock the age-old puzzle of the relationship of John's gospel to the other gospels and to the early Christian church. Applying a new method to an old problem, Brodie uses a form of source analysis that takes account of the practices of ancient writers to reveal John as someone who deliberately rendered the earlier gospels into a new language. The deeply theological, and at the same time more down-to-earth voice characteristic of John is revealed to be not that of a marginal community ("the Johannine community") but of an independent prophetic presence within the mainstream church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195360479
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/14/1993
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Aquinas Institute, St. Louis

Table of Contents

	General Introduction: The Uncertain Quest and the Need for a Firmer Foundation	3
I	The Uncertain Quest
	The Move from Specifics to a Broad Three-Part Inquiry	5
1.	The Quest for the Religious Background	7
2.	The Quest for the Purpose/Life-Situation	10
3.	The Quest for the History of a Johannine Community	15
II	Towards Establishing a Partial Guide to History: John's Composition (Use of Sources)
	Composition as a Basis for History	23
4.	The Quest for Sources: The Central Problem	25
5.	The Thesis	30
6.	The Ancient Context: A World of Literary Transformation	34
7.	A Test Case: John 9 as a Dramatization of the Vision Theme in Mark 8:11-9:8	48
8.	John's Systematic Use of All of Mark	67
9.	John's Systematic Use of Matthew	101
10.	John's Systematic Use of Part of Luke-Acts	116
11.	John's Systematic Use of the Pentateuch	121
12.	John's Systematic Use of Ephesians	128
III	The Quest Resumed: Initial Conclusions
13.	The Religious Background	137
14.	The Purpose/Life-Situation	142
15.	Questions About the Reality of the Johannine Community: Towards Seeing the Evangelist as Primarily an Integrated Member of the Larger World-Oriented Christian Community or Church	144
	General Conclusion: From History to Spirit	153
Appendix A	The Story of the Adulteress and the Accusers (John 7:53-8:11)	157
Appendix B	John's Use of Names	160
Appendix C	John's Use of the Pentateuch: A Tentative Outline of One Dimension	162
Appendix D	John's Use of Part of Luke-Acts: A Tentative Outline of One Dimension	168
Appendix E	John's Main Sources: An Approximate Summary	175
	Bibliography	177
	Index	187

Editorial Reviews

"Very useful for an undergraduate level seminar."—Sr. Karen Wilhelmy, Mount St. Mary's College

"This clearly-written account is a significant contribution to the ongoing discussion about the nature of John's tradition."—The Expository Times

"Brodie's work may indeed offer a contribution to the perplexing issue of the origin of John's Gospel..."—Journal for the Study of the New Testament

"Brodie's thesis makes for fascinating reading; it is imaginative, and carefully argued....An erudite work, one which will engage with the best modern scholarship in this area."—The Furrow

"It is indispensable reading for those interested in John's Gospel....well-written, accessible and provocative book which should be read closely with an open mind."—Neotestamentica

From the Publisher