John and Empire: Initial Explorations

Description

In this significant and innovative contribution, Warren Carter explores John's Gospel as a work of imperial negotiation in the context of Ephesus, capital of the Roman province of Asia. Carter employs multiple methods, rejects sectarian scenarios, and builds on other Christian writings and recent studies of diaspora synagogues that combined participationist lifestyles with observance of distinctive practices to argue that imperial negotiation was a contested issue for late first-century Jesus-believers. While a number of Jesus-believers probably lived societally-accommodated lives, John's Gospel employs a "rhetoric of distance" to urge much less accommodation and to create an alternative "anti-society" for followers of Jesus crucified by the empire but vindicated by God. In addition to establishing this tense historical setting, chapters identify various arenas and strategies of imperial negotiation in wide-ranging discussions of the gospel's genre, plot, Christological titles, developing traditions, eternal life, the image of God as father, ecclesiology, Jesus' conflict with Pilate, and resurrection and ascension. Carter has explored interactions between the emerging Christian movement and the Roman Empire in various articles and book-length studies such as Matthew and the Margins (Orbis), Matthew and Empire (Trinity Press International/Continuum), Pontius Pilate: Portraits of a Roman Governor (Liturgical), and The Roman Empire and the New Testament (Abingdon).

Warren Carter is Professor of New Testament Brite Divinity School Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX

"Carter's demonstration of the way in which the Gospel of John summons its audience to negotiate the imperial context is bold and compelling...Johannine scholars and other interested readers will benefit from engagement with it...his discussion will surely generate more interest and study in this area. Those who read this book will no longer interpret John's Gospel without an awareness of the ways in which Roman imperial reality is reflected within its pages." -Art Wright, Interpretation, January 2009 Mention -New Testament Abstracts, 2009 'This book offers deep and broad resources for those interested in hearing John's gospel in an imperial context.' -- Trinity Seminary Review 'One of the most significant works on this topic yet published, not least because of its scale... the wealth of the evidence that Carter adduces, together with the theoretical sophistication and nuance of his overarching argument, render this an interesting and challenging book.' -- Expository Times Review in the Bulletin for Biblical Research "Carter is at the forefront of those biblical scholars who emphasize the role of interaction with the Roman Empire as an essential horizon for the New Testament literature...This study is a thorough reading of John's text from this vantage point. Serious students will find this an informative and challenging exposition of the Fourth Gospel." - Donald Senior, C.P., The Bible Today, September 2008 -- Donald Senior * Bible Today, The * "Warren Carter's John and Empire serves as an excellent introduction to the recent movement toward reading the NT in light of imperial Rome. Even though Carter has explored this motif or reading strategy in other books of the NT, he has clearly proven himself as a Johannine scholar. Carter's writing is organized and easy to read. He carefully weaves his argument together between chapters and is careful in his presentation of evidence. John and Empire is a needed contribution to Johannine studies, especially as it relates to this recent movement regarding imperial Rome. It will be difficult for future work on John's context and influences to ignore Carter's contribution." -- Edward W. Klink III, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society -- Edward W. Klink III, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University * Journal of Evangelical Theological Society *