The Gospel of John

The course will introduce students to the text of John’s Gospel and to issues surrounding its interpretation. These will include the Gospel’s authorship, date, compositional history, social context, literary character, and its theological themes. Particular attention will be paid (i) to a diverse range of scholarly approaches to interpreting John, (ii) to questions concerning the contemporary application of John, and, above all, (iii) to the portrayal of Jesus in John’s Gospel. “Who is Jesus for John?” will be the guiding question with which the class is concerned. This course aims to assist students in apprehending the distinctive witness of John’s Gospel to the identity of Jesus and in reflecting upon its contemporary significance.