The Gospel of John in Christian History, (Expanded Edition)

This collection of essays on John by J. Louis Martyn gathers four additional Johannine essays into a single volume, augmenting the three published earlier in The Gospel of John in Christian History (1978). In addition to the essays published in the third edition of History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (2003), these two volumes preserve for later generations the complete set of Martyn' published works on John. In a timely way, the publication of this volume follows the 50th anniversary of the publication of History and Theology (1968), which John Ashton regarded as the most important single Johannine monograph since the commentary of Rudolf Bultmann. It also follows the 40th anniversary of the publication of his second Johannine book, which serves as the core of the present volume. --From the Editor's Preface J. Louis Martyn's History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel significantly altered the landscape of Gospel studies. The Gospel of John in Christian History now collects Martyn's additional works on the Johannine community, allowing ready access to the further development of Martyn's insights. Alan Culpepper's masterful foreword sets the stage for readers, depicting the situation in Johannine studies prior to 1968 as well as the afterlife of Martyn's work. Students of John--from novices to accomplished specialists--will find far more than glimpses await them in this important volume. --Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Baylor University Rudolf Schnackenburg used to say that Johannine studies are like working in a Chinese rice field: every little corner is worked over again and again through the years, so breaking new ground is really a challenge! Nevertheless, every now and then, someone does exactly that, deeply influencing the Johannine field for many years to come, and such a person is J. Louis Martyn. His influence on Johannine studies and debates runs deep, covering both historical and theological issues. Introduced brilliantly by Alan Culpepper, this volume, gathering together the remainder of Martyn's essays on John, ensures that valuable 'Johannine intellectual gold' does not disappear in the sands of time. --Jan van der Watt, Professor of Source Texts of Christianity, the Radboud University of Nijmegen, Netherlands J. Louis Martyn served as the Edward Robinson Professor of Biblical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City until his retirement in 1987. R. Alan Culpepper is Dean and Professor Emeritus at the McAfee School of Theology and Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Paul N. Anderson is Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies at George Fox University and Extraordinary Professor of Religion at the North-West University of Potchefstroom, South Africa.