Beyond the Shade of the Oak Tree: The Recent Growth of Johannine Studies

The recent growth within Johannine studies has developed as a result of several factors. First, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls led to an appreciation of the Jewishness of John’s origin. Second, new approaches to John’s composition have emerged, followed by a larger set of inquiries as to the Johannine tradition’s relation to parallel traditions. This has been accompanied by a fourth interest: the history of the Johannine situation. Fifth, new literary studies have posed new horizons for interpretation, and sixth, theories continue to abound on the identity of the Beloved Disciple. A seventh development involves new ways of conceiving John’s theological features, leading to an eighth: reconsidering John’s historical features and re-envisioning its historical contributions in new perspective

New Testament Exegesis as an Academic Discipline with Relevance for Other Disciplines

This article is an English translation of a lecture delivered in November 2011 upon the author’s installation as Professor of New Testament at Uppsala University. It addresses several conceptual and methodological questions about New Testament Exegesis, including: ‘What is New Testament Exegesis?’ ‘What does it mean to call New Testament Exegesis an academic discipline?’ and ‘How can this discipline have relevance for other disciplines?’ A central argument is that the current balkanization of biblical studies is undesirable and that scholars who use more traditional or newer methods should engage each other rather than talk past each other. Since the so-called ‘historical-critical method’ is, in fact, not just one method, this misconception in current nomenclature merits critical attention. Additionally, ‘the linguistic turn’ holds promise for future discussions