Interpreting the Interpreter: Intertextual Midrash in John's Gospel 1- 4
The much debated phrase 'the word became flesh' (Jn. 1.14) is not a rather obscure way of stating that God became man but a conceptual statement answering the even more puzzling question of why a man became God.
This is just one of the insights expressed in Interpreting the Interpreter: a study of intertextual midrash in John 1 - 4. This book of 100,000 words is a radical exegesis of John 1 - 4 which offers a different perspective on many Johannine problems, an exciting clarification of the Prologue and which also reveals an esoteric undercurrent in the opening chapters of this Gospel.
The book explores the text from the viewpoint of a first century reader and examines in detail the scriptural allusions and other contemporary ideas. While the study is primarily addressed to students of the Gospel at all levels it would also appeal to those interested in biblical interpretation and early Christianity more generally.
There have not been many studies devoted to John's use of scripture. Of the most recent A. T. Hanson's The Prophetic Gospel is possibly closest to this study. Hanson identifies which allusions the author may have used but does not offer an adequate explanation of how or why. This is in fact a major flaw in virtually all commentaries. This study suggests that the author used scriptures in a contemporary acceptable manner of intertextual midrash to explain not only who Christ was but his significance in respect to current beliefs.
The most memorable books in the Johannine field are those which introduce new and unexpected ways of looking at this enigmatic Gospel. J.L. Martyn's History and Theology has been perhaps the most important paradigm shifting book since Bultmann in modern times. In its own way this book offers an equally different perspective on the Gospel and the questions it raises are intended to stimulate more research in specific areas.
The author studied at Westminster College Oxford where she gained a first class degree in theology and after a few years working in industrial management returned to college to update knowledge and skills in order to write this book. She therefore read for a diploma in theology at Manchester College Oxford taking biblical papers in Hebrew and Greek. She then continued to work independently researching the Gospel and its background.
With the formal introduction over I will revert to referring to myself in the first person again. The book will soon be available here in PDF format and I have also provided an independant link to the Preface and Introduction to give an indication of what you can expect in the remaining 14 chapters. If you would like to be informed when the book is online send me your email address using the form below.
I have not attempted to publish this book but I would obviously love to see it in print one day. It would be wonderful if it managed to attract the attention of a publisher.
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