Westermann, Claus. The Gospel of John in the light of the Old Testament. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 1998

Malina, Martin E.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 25Issue 2 The Arts and the Church Article 1311-1-1999The Gospel of John in the light of the OldTestamentMartin E. MalinaFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationMalina, Martin E. (1999) "The Gospel of John in the light of the Old Testament," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 2 , Article 13.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss2/13116 ConsensusHowever, one wishes the author would have spent some time and spacespelling out what a truly “Palestinian” history of the area - freed from theconfining restraints of biblical, Israelite, and Israeli self-congratulations - wouldactually look like. The present volume is strong on the critique of the past and thepresent but not very strong on what the future should be. As such the work ismore a prolegomenon and strident call to stop what we are doing to“Palestinians” than a how to go about doing the new and more correct thing.Hopefully such a second volume is not too far off, although its production maynot be as easy as one might think in view of the nature of the evidence andresources available for it.In conclusion, this review will have accomplished its objective should you thereader be encouraged to read this paperback. Although this study gives focus toparticular voices silenced in a specific part of the world, the broadermethodological questions raised might inspire us to revisit the histories of othermarginalized, possibly misrepresented, or even unrepresented peoples muchcloser to us.Roger W. GittiLutheran Theological SeminaryThe Gospel of John in the Light of the Old TestamentClaus WestermannTranslated by Siegfried SchatzmannMassachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998103 pages, $15.99 SoftcoverWhen reading this short commentary on the Gospel of John, 1 felt that 1 waswading into a large and complex debate among New Testament scholars. Thisdebate centres on the degree of Gnostic influence on the Gospel. Westermann,an Old Testament scholar, takes a brief but deep plunge into the sterile yet potentwaters of redaction and form criticism. He implies false dichotomy in thequestion: Do we interpret the Gospel as Gnostic writing, or as a Christian writing,“in which Gnostic elements are not meant in a Gnostic sense?”Instead, one criterion that explains the contrast between Gnostic and non-Gnostic elements in the Gospel, asserts Westermann, “is how the Gnostic and thenon-Gnostic motifs relate to the Old Testament.” His argument is built on theunderstanding that the Gospel is divided into two layers of redaction: a later layerand an earlier layer.According to Westermann, there is only one component of the Gospel thatBook Reviews 117is in contrast with the Old Testament: the motifs of Gnostic and spiritual dualism,the roots of which are not found in the Old Testament. Gnostic dualism isrestricted to the later layer, found mostly in the controversy dialogues (5:17-47;6:25-67; 7:14-36; 8:12-59 and 10:22-39); these dialogues are a “foreignelement” in the Gospel of John. They are governed by motifs such asestablishing contrasts between separate realms and people (8:23f “You are frombelow, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world”), betweenspirit and matter (6:63 “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail”) andjudgement (5:30 “as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just”). Westermannargues that the statements of the later layer stand in opposition to the languageand thinking of the Old Testament.In contrast, the earlier layer reflects motifs speaking of historical events(“That God sent Jesus was an event in time, just as he had sent the prophets ata specific point in time”) and personal relationships, such as the relationshipbetween Father and Son (“The Father entrusts something to him and supportshim in it; the Son trusts in him”). Westermann suggests that the relationship oftrust between Jesus and God has its parallel in the relationship of one praying toGod in the Psalms: “from God, direction and protection: from the human, trustand obedience” (5:30, 36; 6:38, 56f; 7:16, 18, 28, 29; 8:29, 38). ForWestermann, every presentation of the motif of the Father-Son relationship isshaped by language and thinking rooted in the Old Testament.I found the Epilogue a helpful summary and annotation of various recent(mostly German) exegetes on the Gospel ofJohn. Fiowever, I was impeded in mystudy by the lack of footnotes in the body of the text, where Westermann makesinfrequent reference only to his works on the subject. Moreover, one need notread the book cover to discover that the English text is a translation from theoriginal German edition published in 1994. At times the phrasing is wooden,stilted and awkward (i.e., “He is the Christ who helps, heals, and blesses, forwhom precisely this kind of ministry brought on his suffering”).Notwithstanding these minor drawbacks, this text is a quick-read, and agood read in a day when biblical studies are seeking to integrate and interpretfrom a more holistic point of view. Westermann assumes that “in the presentphase of biblical interpretations, it is no longer possible to conduct Old and NewTestament exegesis in isolation from one another.” Westermann exhortsinterpreters that in the case of Jesus, or the Gospel ofJohn, “it is not appropriateto treat the extract as the totality.” Only from the perspective of the Bible as awhole does the Gospel take on importance and meaning. Westermann createsconfidence in interpreting the Bible as a many-layered tradition whose depthsand courses, when plumbed regularly and intentionally, reveal an inherentinterconnectedness. In this study, Westermann teaches us that the degree ofGnostic influence on the Gospel can be better understood when contrasted withthe deep waters of the Hebrew tradition from whence the tradition of Jesus has118 Consensusits true and enduring source.Martin MaiinaSt. Peter’s Lutheran ChurchBrodhagen, OntarioLife in the Face of Death: The Resurrection Message of the NewTestamentRichard N. Longenecker, EditorGrand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998322 pages, $35.50 SoftcoverExcellent! - scholarly and accessible, biblical and pastoral, homiletical andtheological, educational and devotional. These adjectives aptly describe thelatest book edited by Richard Longenecker in the McMaster New TestamentStudies Series. For the last three years McMaster Divinity College (Hamilton,Ontario) has convened a New Testament Symposium by inviting prominentscholars from around the world to present papers on a New Testament theme.These papers are responded to and revised as necessary before being collectedinto the published book form. This current volume on death and resurrection inthe New Testament contains twelve essays from such authors as RichardBauckam, Joel B. Green, Murray J. Harris, William L. Lane, Andrew T. Lincoln,and Allison A. Trites.The overall tone and theological emphasis of the book would be classified asevangelical. It doesn’t seek to advance new, controversial theories for NewTestament scholarship as much as it tries to validate the Gospel message (“Jesusrose from the dead and offers eternal life”) as central to the New Testament andour lives today. The book is full of solid scholarship with plenty of footnotes,bibliographies, and indexes for those who want to study issues further. Pastorswill be interested to know that all the research is used in the service of affirmingand deepening the faith of readers. A key question looming behind each essay is,“how can this help readers to embrace resurrection life in the face of death?”Section one contains four essays which survey the views of death and afterlifeaccording to ancient cultures (Ggaritic, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman), themajor world religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) and prominentcontemporary worldviews (Humanism, Reincarnation, Platonism, Christianity).This is the most informative section of the book as it gives readers a historical,international and holistic backdrop to see how the New Testament’s message ofbodily resurrection is unique. This first section asserts that across most cultures

The Gospel of John in the light of the Old Testament

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 25
Issue 2 The Arts and the Church Article 13
11-1-1999
The Gospel of John in the light of the Old
Testament
Martin E. Malina
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Malina, Martin E. (1999) "The Gospel of John in the light of the Old Testament," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 2 , Article 13.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss2/13
116 Consensus
However, one wishes the author would have spent some time and space
spelling out what a truly “Palestinian” history of the area - freed from the
confining restraints of biblical, Israelite, and Israeli self-congratulations - would
actually look like. The present volume is strong on the critique of the past and the
present but not very strong on what the future should be. As such the work is
more a prolegomenon and strident call to stop what we are doing to
“Palestinians” than a how to go about doing the new and more correct thing.
Hopefully such a second volume is not too far off, although its production may
not be as easy as one might think in view of the nature of the evidence and
resources available for it.
In conclusion, this review will have accomplished its objective should you the
reader be encouraged to read this paperback. Although this study gives focus to
particular voices silenced in a specific part of the world, the broader
methodological questions raised might inspire us to revisit the histories of other
marginalized, possibly misrepresented, or even unrepresented peoples much
closer to us.
Roger W. Gitti
Lutheran Theological Seminary
The Gospel of John in the Light of the Old Testament
Claus Westermann
Translated by Siegfried Schatzmann
Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998
103 pages, $15.99 Softcover
When reading this short commentary on the Gospel of John, 1 felt that 1 was
wading into a large and complex debate among New Testament scholars. This
debate centres on the degree of Gnostic influence on the Gospel. Westermann,
an Old Testament scholar, takes a brief but deep plunge into the sterile yet potent
waters of redaction and form criticism. He implies false dichotomy in the
question: Do we interpret the Gospel as Gnostic writing, or as a Christian writing,
“in which Gnostic elements are not meant in a Gnostic sense?”
Instead, one criterion that explains the contrast between Gnostic and non-
Gnostic elements in the Gospel, asserts Westermann, “is how the Gnostic and the
non-Gnostic motifs relate to the Old Testament.” His argument is built on the
understanding that the Gospel is divided into two layers of redaction: a later layer
and an earlier layer.
According to Westermann, there is only one component of the Gospel that
Book Reviews 117
is in contrast with the Old Testament: the motifs of Gnostic and spiritual dualism,
the roots of which are not found in the Old Testament. Gnostic dualism is
restricted to the later layer, found mostly in the controversy dialogues (5:17-47;
6:25-67; 7:14-36; 8:12-59 and 10:22-39); these dialogues are a “foreign
element” in the Gospel of John. They are governed by motifs such as
establishing contrasts between separate realms and people (8:23f “You are from
below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world”), between
spirit and matter (6:63 “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail”) and
judgement (5:30 “as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just”). Westermann
argues that the statements of the later layer stand in opposition to the language
and thinking of the Old Testament.
In contrast, the earlier layer reflects motifs speaking of historical events
(“That God sent Jesus was an event in time, just as he had sent the prophets at
a specific point in time”) and personal relationships, such as the relationship
between Father and Son (“The Father entrusts something to him and supports
him in it; the Son trusts in him”). Westermann suggests that the relationship of
trust between Jesus and God has its parallel in the relationship of one praying to
God in the Psalms: “from God, direction and protection: from the human, trust
and obedience” (5:30, 36; 6:38, 56f; 7:16, 18, 28, 29; 8:29, 38). For
Westermann, every presentation of the motif of the Father-Son relationship is
shaped by language and thinking rooted in the Old Testament.
I found the Epilogue a helpful summary and annotation of various recent
(mostly German) exegetes on the Gospel ofJohn. Fiowever, I was impeded in my
study by the lack of footnotes in the body of the text, where Westermann makes
infrequent reference only to his works on the subject. Moreover, one need not
read the book cover to discover that the English text is a translation from the
original German edition published in 1994. At times the phrasing is wooden,
stilted and awkward (i.e., “He is the Christ who helps, heals, and blesses, for
whom precisely this kind of ministry brought on his suffering”).
Notwithstanding these minor drawbacks, this text is a quick-read, and a
good read in a day when biblical studies are seeking to integrate and interpret
from a more holistic point of view. Westermann assumes that “in the present
phase of biblical interpretations, it is no longer possible to conduct Old and New
Testament exegesis in isolation from one another.” Westermann exhorts
interpreters that in the case of Jesus, or the Gospel ofJohn, “it is not appropriate
to treat the extract as the totality.” Only from the perspective of the Bible as a
whole does the Gospel take on importance and meaning. Westermann creates
confidence in interpreting the Bible as a many-layered tradition whose depths
and courses, when plumbed regularly and intentionally, reveal an inherent
interconnectedness. In this study, Westermann teaches us that the degree of
Gnostic influence on the Gospel can be better understood when contrasted with
the deep waters of the Hebrew tradition from whence the tradition of Jesus has
118 Consensus
its true and enduring source.
Martin Maiina
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Brodhagen, Ontario
Life in the Face of Death: The Resurrection Message of the New
Testament
Richard N. Longenecker, Editor
Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998
322 pages, $35.50 Softcover
Excellent! - scholarly and accessible, biblical and pastoral, homiletical and
theological, educational and devotional. These adjectives aptly describe the
latest book edited by Richard Longenecker in the McMaster New Testament
Studies Series. For the last three years McMaster Divinity College (Hamilton,
Ontario) has convened a New Testament Symposium by inviting prominent
scholars from around the world to present papers on a New Testament theme.
These papers are responded to and revised as necessary before being collected
into the published book form. This current volume on death and resurrection in
the New Testament contains twelve essays from such authors as Richard
Bauckam, Joel B. Green, Murray J. Harris, William L. Lane, Andrew T. Lincoln,
and Allison A. Trites.
The overall tone and theological emphasis of the book would be classified as
evangelical. It doesn’t seek to advance new, controversial theories for New
Testament scholarship as much as it tries to validate the Gospel message (“Jesus
rose from the dead and offers eternal life”) as central to the New Testament and
our lives today. The book is full of solid scholarship with plenty of footnotes,
bibliographies, and indexes for those who want to study issues further. Pastors
will be interested to know that all the research is used in the service of affirming
and deepening the faith of readers. A key question looming behind each essay is,
“how can this help readers to embrace resurrection life in the face of death?”
Section one contains four essays which survey the views of death and afterlife
according to ancient cultures (Ggaritic, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman), the
major world religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) and prominent
contemporary worldviews (Humanism, Reincarnation, Platonism, Christianity).
This is the most informative section of the book as it gives readers a historical,
international and holistic backdrop to see how the New Testament’s message of
bodily resurrection is unique. This first section asserts that across most cultures


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