This new edition of Gary Burge's introduction to the Gospel of John is no mere reprint but a detailed updating of a standard textbook for beginning students that will provide them with information and tools for their study, all placed in the context of preparation for a preaching ministry. It has the important merits of simplicity and conciseness and in its new form will continue to be a first resource for students. I cordially commend it.
-I. Howard Marshall,
professor emeritus of New Testament, University of Aberdeen
Gary Burge has shared his lifelong close association with the Gospel of John in a way that puts all those who turn to this subtle Gospel in his debt. With balance and reliability he leads a reader through matters external and internal to the text that influence interpretation. Bibliographies, well-chosen footnotes, and a precious guide to electronic resources make this book a unique contribution to all who teach, study, preach, and pray with the Fourth Gospel in hand.
-Francis J. Moloney,
SDB, senior professorial fellow, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
This manual exposes students to a breathtaking array of issues, studies, strategies, scholars, and tools. It draws on the author's insights from more than four decades of high-level involvement in Johannine scholarship. While it calls in question the degree to which we can be certain of John the son of Zebedee's full and direct authorship of the Fourth Gospel, it equips readers to grapple with the evidence and to make up their own minds about crucial questions. It thereby aids and advances critical thought in its application to John's Gospel.
-Robert W. Yarbrough,
professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary
Gary Burge draws his reader into the detective work of Johannine scholarship, equipping apprentice investigators with the background and methods by which they can arrive at their own logical insights for the purpose of scholarly papers and meaningful exposition. Teachers of the Gospel of John will find this a practical resource for pedagogic strategies; students will discover a course text that will excite them to become sleuths.
-Jo-Ann A. Brant,
professor of Bible and religion, Goshen College
An excellent text for the classroom and personal study alike! In his newly revised introduction, Gary Burge offers a highly accessible understanding of the essential issues needed for meaningful interpretations of the Gospel of John. As a highly trustworthy guide to this amazing Gospel, Burge empowers biblical interpretation at its best!
-Paul N. Anderson,
professor of biblical and Quaker studies, George Fox University; author of The Christology of the Fourth Gospel and The Fourth Gospel and the Quest for Jesus
