Sacra Pagina The Gospel Of John

No other book of the New Testament has attracted as much attention from commentators as the Fourth Gospel. It has stirred minds, hearts, and imaginations from Christianity's earliest days. In The Gospel of John, Francis Moloney unfolds the identifiable "point of view" of this unique Gospel narrative and offers readers, heirs to its rich and widely varied interpretative traditions, relevance for their lives today. The Gospel of John's significance for Christianity has been obvious from the time of Irenaeus. It was also fundamental in the emergence of Christian theology, especially in the trinitarian and christological debates that produced the great ecumenical Councils, from Nicaea to Chalcedon. What sets this commentary on the Fourth Gospel apart from others is Moloney's particular attention to the narrative design of the Gospel story. He traces the impact the Johannine form of the Jesus story has made on readers and explicates the way in which the author has told the story of Jesus. Through this he demonstrates how the Gospel story articulates a coherent theology, christology, and ecclesiology.

What makes this commentary on Luke stand apart from others is that, from beginning to end, this is a literary analysis. Because it focuses solely on the gospel as it appears and not on its source or origin, this commentary richly and thoroughly explores just what Luke is saying and how he says it.

The Johannine Epistles are today read as an important part of the Johannine literature. Yet the meaning of the text is often unclear. Part of the problem arises because, although 1 John is called an Epistle, it lacks the formal marks of an Epistle. In 1, 2, and 3 John, John Painter illuminates the relationship 1, 2, and 3 John have to each other and to the Gospel. Painter explains the historical context of the Johannine Epistles using a socio-rhetorical approach. The writings are shown to reflect a situation of conflict and schism within the Johannine community; they seek to persuade the readers of the truth of the writer's message. In this truth, the readers are encouraged to abide if they would have the assurance of eternal life. Painter also examines the inseparable connection between belief and ethical life in active love for one another. Through the socio-rhetorical approach Painter brings to light the continuing relevance of these writings. 1, 2, and 3 John is divided into two parts. Chapters under 1 John are "Introduction to the Exegesis of 1 John," "Outline of 1 John," "First Presentation of the Two Tests (1:6-2:27)," "Excursus: Sin and Sinlessness," "Excursus: Love of the Brother/Sister: of One Another," "Excursus: The Antichrist," "Second Presentation of the Two Tests (2:28-4:6)," "Third Presentation of the Two Tests (4:7-5:12)," "Conclusion (5:13-21), and " Excursus: 'A Sin Unto Death.'" Chapters under 2 and 3 John are "2 John," "Introduction to the Exegesis of 2 John," "Outline of 2 John," "Prescripti 2 John 1-3," "Body of the Letter (4-11)," "Notice of Intention to Visit (12)," and "Final Greetings (13)," "3 John," "Introduction to the Exegesis of 3 John," "Outline of 3 John," "Prescript: 3 John 1-2," "Body of Letter (3-12)," and "Final Greetings (13-15)." John Painter is the Foundation Professor of Theology at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, Australia.

In The Gospel of Mark Fathers Donahue and Harrington use an approach that can be expressed by two terms currently used in literary criticism: intratextuality and intertextuality. This intratextual and intertextual reading of Mark's Gospel helps us to appreciate the literary character, its setting in life, and its distinctive approaches to the Old Testament, Jesus, and early Christian theology. "Intratextuality" means we read Mark as Mark and by Mark. Such a reading expresses interest in the final form of the Gospel (not its source or literary history) and in its words and images, literary devices, literary forms, structures, characterization, and plot. Reading Mark by Mark gives particular attention to the distinctive vocabulary and themes that run throughout the Gospel and serve to hold it together as a unified literary production. "Intertextuality" comprises the relation between texts and a textual tradition, and also referring to contextual materials not usually classified as texts (e.g., archaeological data). "Intertextuality" is used to note the links of the text of Mark's Gospel to other texts (especially the Old Testament) and to the life of the Markan community and of the Christian community today.

"An exploration of the Book of Revelation as a celebration of the perennial and ongoing effects of Jesus' death and resurrection"--

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

A theological study on the Gospel of John that is strongly determined by contemporary biblical scholarship.

"John Meier is widely recognized as an authority, and one welcomes his commentary . . .Meier's book is especially rich in showing how Matthew reinterprets the Gospel in the context of his own church and its problems." America