Acknowledgements

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 The Quest

1.2 The Problem of the Theology of the New Testament

1.3 The Theological Re-Reading

1.4 Theology in Christological Captivity?

1.5 Travails of a Theological Quest – Compositional History of the Fourth Gospel

1.6 Theologising History – Historidty of the Fourth Gospel

1.7 Theological Re-Reading of the Fourth Gospel – Towards Understanding the Johannine Exegesis of God

Chapter Two: Is Jesus God? Thomas' Confession in the Light of the Passion Narrative

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Thomas’ Confession – “My Lord, My God”

2.3 Self-Giving Jesus – Composure and Sovereignty in the Midst of Betrayal and Arrest

2.4 Jesus – The Pascal Lamb

2.5 The Trial of Jesus – The Man, The King

2.6 Mission Completed – Jesus Heralds Victory Even in Death

2.7 That You may Believe – Jesus the Christ, the Son of God

2.8 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Three: Theology in Conflict – Is Jesus Equal to God? (John 5:17-30)

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Order of Chapters Five and Six

3.3 The Pericope

3.4 The Structure

3.5 TheContext

3.6 Exegesis

3.6.1 Verses 17-18: Overture – Is Jesus Equal to God?

3.6.2 Verses 19-30: The Father and the Son – Relationship Explained

3.7 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Four: Theology in Conflict – Is Jesus Pre-existent? (John 8:12-59)

4.1 The Literary Structure

4.2 The Context

4.3 Exegesis

4.3.1 Verses 12-20: Jesus the Light of the World – the Authority of Jesus' Witness

4.3.2 Verses 21-30: Jesus the One from Above – The Origin of Jesus' Authority

4.3.3 Verses 31-34: Truth and Liberation

4.3.4 Verses 35-36: Operation Liberation

4.3.5 Verses 37-47: God's Party and the Devil's Party

4.3.6 Verses 48-59: Jesus the Pre-existent Son is the Revealer and Embodiment of Salvation

4.4 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Five: Theology in Conflict – Are Jesus and the Father One? (John 10:22-39)

5.1 The Context

5.2 The Structure

5.3 Exegesis

5.3.1 Verses 22-30: Oneness of the Father and the Son

5.3.2 Verses 31-39: Mutual In-dwelling of the Father and the Son

5.4 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Six: The God of the Johannine Jesus: Characterisation of God in the Prayer of Jesus (John 17:1-26)

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Exegesis

6.2.1 Verses 1-5: The True God

6.2.2 Verses 6-10: The God who gives identity

6.2.3 Verses 11-15: The God who protects

6.2.4 Verses 16-19: The God who sanctifies

6.2.5 Verses 20-23: The God who unites

6.2.6 Verses 23b-26: The God who loves

6.3 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Seven: Incamate Logos as Historical Theophany (John 1:1-18)

7.1 Integrity of the Prologue

7.1.1 In Search of a pre-Johannine Hymn

7.1.2 The Prologue is a Unity

7.1.3 Analysis

7.1.4 A Possible Solution

7.2 The Logos – A Search for a Mythological Context

7.2.1 The Origin

7.2.2 Old Testament Wisdom Tradition?

7.2.3 Philonic Exegesis of the Old Testament?

7.2.4 Targumic Traditions?

7.2.5 Gnostidsm?

7.2.6 Analysis

7.3 Exegesis

7.3.1 Verses 1-2: The Logos and God

7.3.2 Verses 3-5: The Logos and the World

7.3.3 Verses 6-8: Witness to and Interpreter of God's Acts in the World – God's Human Instrument 'the Man' John

7.3.4 Verses 9-13: God's A-historical Presence and Covenant with the World through the Logos

7.3.5 Verses 14-18: The Incarnation and the Exegesis of God – a Historical Theophany

7.4 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter 8: Theology in Dialogue – Dialogue with the Considerate Jews (John 3:1-21)

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Exegesis

8.2.1 Verses 3-6: God Creates a New Eschatological Community

8.2.2 Verses 7-8: A New Community – The Sign of God's Freedom to Act

8.2.3 Verses 9-15: Jesus – The Normative Determinant to Understand God's Action

8.2.4 Verses 16-17: Jesus – The Metaphor of the Self-emptying God

8.2.5 Verses 18-21: Only a Self-emptying Community. Can Represent a Self-emptying God

8.3 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Nine: Theology in Dialogue – Dialogue with the Samaritans (John 4:1-42)

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Exegesis

9.2.1 Verses 5-6: The Place of the Dialogue

9.2.2 Verses 7-15: Dialogue on God's Gift which Transcends all Traditions

9.2.3 Verses 16-26: Dialogue on God's Worship, the Centre of a New Tradition

9.2.4 Verses 27-38: Dialogue on God's Will – The Basis of New Traditions

9.2.5 Verses 39-42: The Dialogue's Ultimate Goal – Recognising the God-sent Saviour and Confessing the Saviour-hood of God

9.3 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Ten: Revelation Continued – the Authentic Theology: The Paraclete and the Understanding of God

10.1 Composition of the Farewell Discourses

10.2 The Paraclete – God's Comforting and Challenging Presence

10.3 The Paraclete – Re-enactor of God's Revelation in Teaching and Remembering

10.4 God Creates the Possibility of 'Authentic Witness' in the Face of the World's Vicious Contempt through Paraclete

10.5 The Paraclete Creates a 'Mirror Model' of God's World

10.6 The Paraclete – the Sign of God's Revelation Continued

10.7 Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Eleven: Conclusion: Johannine Exegesis of God

11.1 The Characterisation of God in the Fourth Gospel

11.2 Johannine Theo-centric Christology

11.2.1 Agent Christology

11.2.2 Mediator Christology

11.2.3 ’I am’ Christology

11.2.4 Oneness Christology

11.3 Theological Hermeneutic

11.4 Whither Theo-logy?

Bibliography

Select Index of References

Index of Modern Authors