BIBL6330 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BIBL6330 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN NORTH PARK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Fall Semester 2016/17, Wednesdays 6.30pm 9.15pm Instructor: Stephen Chester (schester@northpark.edu; 773-244-6238) Office Hours: TBD COURSE AIM The aim is to enable students to deepen their understanding of the fourth Gospel, especially its historical and theological importance and contemporary relevance, and, in so doing, further to develop their exegetical and interpretative skills. CLASS DESCRIPTION Who is Jesus? How should we think about his incarnation, cross, and resurrection? What about Jesus relationship to the Father and the Spirit? What does it mean for us to believe in Jesus? How important is a decision to follow him? What is the true nature of Christian community? What about the relationship of the Christian gospel to Judaism? All these crucial questions and more are directly addressed by John s Gospel. This class will explore them historically but will also be strongly concerned with their implications for us as twenty-first century Christians. What does the Gospel of John say to us and ask of us as followers of Jesus? LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1. make informed assessments of exegeses of texts in John, and of wider interpretations of John, offered in commentaries and other scholarly texts; 2. articulate their own understanding of John s presentation of the story of Jesus; 3. offer critically informed exegesis of selected texts from the Gospel; 4. engage constructively with issues surrounding the use of the Gospel in contemporary ministry and mission. CONTENT The course includes: 1. an introduction to critical issues in the interpretation of John; 2. guided readings in relevant secondary literature for class discussion and evaluation; 3. exegesis of selected texts from John s Gospel with attention to contemporary relevance. PRE-REQUISITE There is no formal pre-requisite, but the class curriculum does assume some existing skills consistent with those taking the class for credit having previously passed at least one Master s level foundational Bible class (Interpreting the New Testament 1 or 2, Interpreting the Old Testament 1, 2, or 3) OR having passed some Bible classes in their undergraduate degree. Those registering for credit without this prior experience in

biblical studies are encouraged to contact Professor Chester before the start of the semester for a discussion of how to prepare for the class. PROCEDURE We will look at issues in the interpretation of John s Gospel, either by means of lecture input or seminar style discussion of preparatory reading. However, our main focus will be working with the text of selected passages from the Gospel, exploring their meaning in a first century context and their relevance for contemporary ministry and mission. It is vital that students keep up with preparatory reading and with commentary work if we are all to benefit fully from time in class. REQUIRED TEXTS Richard Bauckham, Gospel of Glory: Major Themes in Johannine Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015) Ruth B. Edwards, Discovering John: Content, Interpretation, Reception (2 nd edition; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015) Marianne Meye Thompson, John: A Commentary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2015) REQUIREMENTS Note: All papers should be placed in Dr Chester s box on the second floor of Nyvall Hall by the due date. 1. Attendance. A register will be taken. If you have a difficulty please speak to the instructor about it. Illness and other unforeseen circumstances beyond your control will be regarded sympathetically, but poor planning on your part is not a good excuse. Poor attendance without good reason will affect the mark awarded for class participation. The same principles apply to requests for extensions for reports and papers. Late submission without good reason will result in reduced marks. 2. Read John s Gospel. 3. Write a Life Application paper of 2000-2,500 words on the following question: How does John s Gospel understand conversion? We are in a period of strong reaction against the theologies of personal conversion (Are you born again?) that were very prevalent in the late twentieth century. Yet much of the vocabulary used in these theologies comes from John s Gospel. So what is the true nature of conversion in John s Gospel and what are the implications of that for understanding conversion today? The paper should be based on texts in John but apply the teaching of the Gospel to contemporary discussion of conversion. The paper is due on November 16. Further written guidance will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

4. Before our on John 4 (Jesus and the Samaritan Woman) on October 5 prepare to report to the class on one of the following approaches to interpreting this encounter: Reception History: Patristic Era Reception History: Medieval and Reformation Eras Postmodern/Literary Approaches Feminist Approaches Post-Colonial Approaches Further written guidance and bibliography will be provided at the beginning of the semester. After the class you will write up your report into a paper of 2000-2500 words. Your paper will focus on the main distinctive features of the approaches you explored and will critically asses them. What did you find helpful or unhelpful for the task of interpreting the text in contemporary contexts? The paper is due on October 26. 5. Prepare an exegesis paper of 3000 words on one of the texts listed below. The paper is due December 7, with grace until December 14. After that, penalties for late submission will apply. Further printed guidance as to how students are to approach the paper will be provided. However, use at least five exegetical commentaries on the Greek text and at least one article focused on your passage. Select from the following passages: John 1:35-51 John 5:15-24 John 12:1-12 John 14:1-14 John15:1-15 Those with Greek should make use of it in their exegesis (paying attention to textual variants etc.) and attach their own translation of the passage selected to the paper (additional to word count). Those without Greek should compare several major English translations of the passage selected and attach to their paper a list of points at which differences in translation involve significant differences in meaning (additional to word count). Bible Works is the easiest way to do this. GRADING Short Paper 25% Life Application Paper 25% Exegesis Paper 40% Class Participation 10%

CLASS SCHEDULE There are no classes on October 19 (Fall Week) or November 23 (Thanksgiving). In addition to the reading set below students are expected before each class to consult the commentary by Thompson (required text) and one other commentary on the texts to be discussed that week. The other commentary should be a different commentary each week. In this way students will be exposed to a cross-section of the very many commentaries available on John s Gospel. Class 1 August 31 Approaching the Study of John s Gospel The Authorship, Date and Purpose of John John 1:1-9 Edwards: 1-32, 45-58 Class 2 September 7 Methods in Interpreting John (1) Bultmann s Approach John 1:10-18 Edwards, 100-114 Bauckham, 109-29 Class 3 September 14 Miracles in John s Gospel John 2:1-11 Edwards, 59-72 Bauckham, 43-62 Class 4 September 21 Methods in Interpreting John (2) - JL Martyn and the Johannine Community

John 2: 13-25 David A. Lamb, Text, Context, and the Johannine Community (London and New York: T&T Clark Bloomsbury, 2014), 1-28 Edwards, 142-55 Class 5 September 28 The Sources of John s Gospel and John s Relationship to the Synoptic Gospels John 3:1-21 Edwards, 33-44 Bauckham, 185-201 Class 6 October 5 John 4:1-54 (focus vv.6-30) Edwards, 115-30 Class 7 October 12 Johannine Christology (1) The Son of Man in John John 6:25-40 Edwards, 73-85 Class 8 October 26 Johannine Christology (2) Son and Messiah John: 6:41-59 Bauckham, 77-107

Class 9 November 2 John and Judaism John 8:12-59 (focus vv. 39-59) Edwards, 131-41 Class 10 November 9 Johannine Theology Dualism and Decision John 9:1-41 (focus vv. 18-41) M. Volf, Johannine Dualism and Contemporary Pluralism in Modern Theology 21 (2005), 189-218 Class 11 November 16 The Old Testament in John s Gospel John 10:1-21 M.K. Deeley, Ezekiel s Shepherd and John s Jesus in C.A. Evans & J.A. Sanders (eds.), Early Christian Interpretation of the Scriptures of Israel (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1997), 252-64 OR A.C. Brunson, Psalm 118 in the Gospel of John (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 2003), 317-50 Class 12 November 30 (Q) The Spirit in John s Gospel John 16:1-15 (focus vv.7-15), John 17:1-26 (focus vv.1-19) Bauckham, 21-42 Class 13 December 7 John and the Historical Jesus

John 19:1-42 (focus vv.16b-37), 20:1-31 (focus vv. 19-31) Edwards, 86-99 Bauckham, 63-76 BIBLIOGRAPHY All the commentaries listed below are either on reserve or in the reference section of the Brandel Library. Apart from required texts, all the items set as preparatory reading for class are on reserve. The journal article by Volf (class 10) is available online as PDF files through the ATLA Religions Database (see Brandel Library web-site). Commentaries suitable for Class Preparation alongside Thompson C.K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John. (London: SPCK, 1978). T. Brodie, The Gospel according to John: A Literary and Theological Commentary (Oxford: OUP, 1993) R. Brown,The Gospel According to John. 2 Vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1966 & 1970). (R) F. Bruner, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012) R. Bultmann, The Gospel of John (Oxford: Blackwells, 1970) D. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Leicester: IVP, 1991). E. Haenchen, John: A Commentary on the Gospel of John (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984). J.J. Kanagaraj, John NCCS (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2013) C. Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2003). (R) A. Köstenberger, John (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004). A. Lincoln, The Gospel According to St. John - Black s NT Commentary (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2005). (R) B. Lindars, The Gospel of John. (London: Marshalls, 1972). B. Malina & R. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998). J. Ramsey Michaels, The Gospel of John NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) F.J. Moloney, John Sacra Pagina (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1998). R. Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. John. 3 Vols (London: Burnes & Oates, 1968). C. Talbert, John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel. (Smyth & Helwys, 2005). U.C. von Wahlde, The Gospel and Letters of John 3 Vols (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010). B. Witherington, John s Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel. (Louisville: WJKP, 1995). More Devotional Commentaries G. Burge, John NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000)

L. Newbigin, The Light has Come: An Exposition of the Fourth Gospel (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982) Select Other Works J. Ashton (ed.), The Interpretation of John (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1988) J. Ashton, Understanding the Fourth Gospel (Oxford: Clarendon, 1991) P. Bieringer, D. Pollefeyt & F. Vandecasteele-Vanneuville (eds.), Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel (Assen, Netherlands: Royal van Gorcum, 2001) M.C. de Boer (ed.), From Jesus to John (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1993) R.E. Brown, An Introduction to the Gospel of John (New York: Doubleday, 2003), pp.90-114 T.G. Brown, Spirit in the Writings of John (London: T&T Clark, 2003) A.C. Brunson, Psalm 118 in the Gospel of John (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 2003) CA. Evans, Word and Glory (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1993) C.A. Evans & W.R. Stegner (eds.), The Gospels and the Scriptures of Israel (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1994) C.A. Evans & J.A. Sanders (eds.), Early Christian Interpretation of the Scriptures of Israel (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1997) R.T. Fortna & T. Thatcher (eds.), Jesus in the Johannine Tradition (Louisville: WJKP, 2001), 71-82 P.M. Hoskins, Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Temple in the Gospel of John (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2006) E. Käsemann, The Testament of Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968) D.A. Lamb, Text, Context, and the Johannine Community (London and New York: T&T Clark Bloomsbury, 2014) A.J. Levine (ed.), A Feminist Companion to John Vol. 1 (London: Sheffield Academic Press, 2003), pp. 78-97 J.L. Martyn, History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (Louisville: WJKP, 2003 3 rd Edition) F.J. Moloney, Love in the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013) D. Moody Smith, The Theology of the Gospel of John (Cambridge: CUP, 1995) S. Motyer, Your Father the Devil? A New Approach to John and the Jews (Carlisle: Paternoster, 1997) J. Painter, The Quest for the Messiah (Nashville: Abingdon Press 2 nd Edition, 1993) S.E. Porter, John, His Gospel, and Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015) S. Schneiders, The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament as Sacred Scripture (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1993) J.L. Staley, The Print s First Kiss (Atlanta: Scholar s Press, 1988) T. Thatcher, Why did John write a Gospel? (Louisville: WJKP, 2006)

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