dinsdag 29 januari 2013

Review of: Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John (Sacra Pagina Series, Volume 4), Liturgical Press, 1998

Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John (Sacra Pagina Series, Volume 4), Liturgical Press, 1998

Review in: The Expository Times 1999 110: 260
Review door: Larry Kreitzer
Gevonden op: http://ext.sagepub.com/content/110/8/260.3.full.pdf+html

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
The Gospel of John (Michael Glazier, 1998, $34.95, pp. xxii + 594, ISBN 0-8146-5806-7) by Francis J. Moloney SDB represents the latest contribution in the Sacra Pagina commentary series under the editorship of Daniel J. Harrington SJ, a series written by an international team of Roman Catholic biblical scholars. The aim is to produce a commentary series which is of value to professional teachers, clergy and students alike. The volumes in the series attempt a sound critical analysis of the text itself, combining traditional insights and lines of interpretation with new methodological approaches. In Moloney’s case the new approach involves a narrative-critical reading of John, particularly as it applies to the narrative design of the Gospel as a whole (Moloney’s approach has been hammered out over the past six years in other publications). Not surprisingly, according to Moloney, John 20:30-31 has a crucial role to play in the original author’s intention, bringing, as it does, the Christian readership to the point of ’going farther in their belief in Jesus’ (p. 542). In fact, there is a compelling case made for the original author’s integrity, control and consistency in presenting his story of the life of the Lord, although the technically complicated (and inevitably) insoluble debate about the identity of ‘John’, ’the Beloved Disciple’, ’the one Jesus loved’, etc. is practically sidestepped within the commentary. The secondary literature handled is quite up-to-date, particularly in terms of journal articles, although there is a marked reliance upon the work of earlier Catholic scholars, notably R. Brown and R. Schnackenburg. Full indexes of texts and modern writers round out the handsomely produced volume.

LARRY KREITZER,
REGENT’S PARK COLLEGE, OXFORD

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