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Book Reviews
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R. Alan Culpepper and Paul Anderson (eds.), John and Judaism: A Contested Rela-
tionship in Context (Atlanta,GA:SBLPress, 2017). 442 pp. $46.20 paperback.
What is the gospel of John’s relationship with Judaism? This is a simple but complicated question that compels us to explore its context and influences. Indeed, the identity, relationship, and characterization of Judaism in the gospel have led to many interpretive impasses. Culpepper and Anderson however pro- vide a scholarly treatment on the issues with a variety of scholars. The scholars in this volume do not agree with one another, nor do they intend to solve the various problems of the gospel. Instead, they provide a review of the debates and path forward for future research. In particular, the goal of the volume is to study how Judaism is characterized in the gospel of John and the kind of Judaism that is reflected in the gospel (xvii). Divided into four parts: Part 1 reviews and explores how we are to understand the “Jews.” Part 2 explores John as a source for Judaism. Part 3 examines John’s relationship with Judaism and Christianity. Lastly, part 4 reads the gospel as Jews and Christians.
Part 1 includes two essays. The first is by Tom Thatcher who reviews recent research on the Jews and John’s relationship with Judaism. While most of Thatcher’s essay explores the research on the identity of the Jews and the Jew- ishness of the gospel, he recognizes that any discussion on the “Jews” needs to solve the paradox, how it is both Jewish and anti-Jewish (6). Jan van der Watt’s essay explores the significance of Jesus as a Jewish Messiah and King of the Jews/Israel, and what can we learn from the rhetoric (41). In particular, he argues that the anti-Jewish language is vilification rhetoric (54). This view not only counters the assumption that the gospel is anti-Jewish, it also aims to explain why the harsh rhetoric exists in the gospel.
Part 2 explores the gospel of John as a source for understanding Judaism. These essays intend to show how the gospel serves as a link between the Judaism of the early first century and rabbinic Judaism. Craig Koester sug- gests that John offers some first-century corroboration for ideas and practices that are fully described in the Mishnah. This includes temple practices, the rabbi title, synagogue sermons, and Jewish folk belief in magic (61–76). Catrin Williams’ insightful essay demonstrates how John’s use of scripture provides the earliest attestation of exegesis that is found in rabbinic sources (79). And lastly, Harold Attridge points to how first-century ethnic discourses can also reveal the identity of the “Jews.”
The essays in part 3 aim to reappraise John’s relationship to Judaism and Jew- ish Christianity with 8 essays written by a variety of scholars. Adele Reinhartz reviews J. Louis Martyn’s classical work on the Johannine community and pro- poses that the gospel aims to separate the community from Judaism. Jonathan
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Bernier’s essay argues that synagogue excommunication was a possibility prior to 70CE, which runs contrary to Martyn’s thesis. Craig Evans argues that the background of the gospel includes Jewish synagogue tension and conflict. Joel Marcus reminds us that the gospel does have a concern with addressing and reaching the followers of the Baptist. Lori Baron notices that the Shema is woven deeply into the fabric of the narrative of John 10 and 17 as an escha- tological motif. The following essays by William Loader and R. Alan Culpepper tease out the similarities and differences between John and Matthew. Loader’s essay notices that John’s Christology shapes the soteriology presented in the gospel which focuses on faithfulness and obedience to Jesus (187). Culpepper’s essay finds that even though Matthew and John discuss similar themes such as Jesus as the new Moses, scripture, law, Sabbath, purity, Pharisees, and the syn- agogue, John does so with a polemical hermeneutic that justifies a break with Judaism (218–219). And the final essay in this section by Jörg Frey examines how the Ephesian setting in the late first century can illuminate our understanding of the gospel’s context during the “parting of the ways.”
Part 4 concludes with essays on the hermeneutical challenges in reading the gospel for today. Reimund Bieringer explores the development and impact of the Leuven Colloquium, which was one of the first conferences that dealt withtheanti-Jewish/Judaismnatureof thegospel.PaulAnderson’sessayargues that the gospel itself is not anti-Semitic nor anti-Jewish (295). He contends that Jesus’ hostility with the Jews should be interpreted as intra-Jewish engage- ments. Ruth Sheridan’s chapter explores how European interpretations in com- mentaries have fostered pejorative readings of the Jews in John 8:32. She com- pels the interpreter to consider their cultural influences so that they do not exacerbate negative readings of the gospel. In reflection of the Nostra Aetate, published by the Vatican council over fifty years ago, Noam Marans explores the place of the gospel in Christian-Jewish relations. He finds that it is not pos- sible to expunge the offensive language, but we can contextualize it as a sacred obligation (338). The final chapter by Culpepper summarizes all the previous contributions and puts forth a call for future scholars, pastors, and teachers to understand the Jewishness of the gospel and its potential for misuse.
Overall, the essays throughout this volume add a tremendous benefit for those seeking to know the current issues and trends in Johannine studies. The reader is introduced to a variety of issues, debates, views, and scholars who have shaped the conversations. One is made aware of how deeply the gospel is rooted in a Jewish context and community. Still, in the background of the vari- ous dialogues includes the monumental thesis of J. Louis Martyn’s work on the Johannine community and the interpretive challenge of gospel’s anti-Jewish polemic. Scholars differ in their approach and readings of these two fundamen-
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tal issues. And the book does not attempt to solve the problem once and for all. Yet there is no way to appropriately study the gospel without close attention to the various issues and challenges raised by the writers in the chapters of this book. This is a must read for all scholars and students of the Fourth Gospel.
Rodolfo Galvan EstradaIII LABICollege, La Puente, California [email protected]
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