Encountering John

Book excerpt: The uniqueness of the Gospel of John is readily apparent. In contrast to the overlapping material in the Synoptic Gospels, John shares only about ten percent of its content with Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John's distinct focus on Jesus' life as the culmination of salvation history makes it "the theological pinnacle of the gospel tradition" and establishes its author, along with the apostle Paul, as one of the early church's foremost theologians. Not a traditional commentary on the book, this volume, like others in the Encountering Biblical Studies series, is designed especially for classroom use. A lucid writing style and a number of pedagogical enhancements make this a perfect tool for helping students master the content and key interpretive issues of the Gospel of John. Like the other volumes in this series, the pedagogical usefulness of this work is enhanced by a number of features: * copious illustrative tables, maps, and photos * sidebars and excursuses that address difficult passages and important issues * an outline and objectives at the beginning of each chapter * study questions and key terms at the conclusion of each chapter * a comprehensive glossary and annotated bibliography * instructor's manual available on diskette