The Theology of Judgement in the Fourth Gospel

The theology of judgement in John's Gospel has long been a problem in New Testament studies. John's claim that Jesus is both judging and not judging and his interplay of freedom from judgement with the promise of judgement have always puzzled readers of the Gospel. Alan Blackwood adopts a fresh approach to the problem. He looks at chapter 5 of the Gospel, examining the Greek text through the lens of not only linguistic and historical critical methods, but also sociological inquiry and literary interpretation. His study shows that the text of John 5 presents a coherent theological argument in which the Gospel's author reveals his community's belief that they had commenced eternal life exempt from judgement, while they also believed that everyone outside their community would be subject to judgement on the last day. Blackwood is also able to show how and why such startling new doctrines could have grown from earlier Christian beliefs. This book will prove invaluable to all students and teachers of New Testament studies and particularly to those with an interest in how modern research techniques are bringing fresh insights and understanding to the study of John's Gospel.