Paul N Anderson

The intention of this biography is--on the one hand--to describe what happened as Peder Borgen (b. 1928) grew up and tried to establish himself as a theologian and a New Testament scholar in his Norwegian and Lutheran state-church context. On the other hand, it also describes how his development and life as a student of the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria were influenced by his minority background and the borders he had to cross to achieve his goals. Crossing Borders is thus a description of the life and work of a Norwegian Methodist, scholar, church politician, ecumenist, and an internationally acclaimed writer on the Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria. Students of both the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria should feel enlightened by this volume of how context may influence both a person and his scholarly achievements.

The intention of this biography is--on the one hand--to describe what happened as Peder Borgen (b. 1928) grew up and tried to establish himself as a theologian and a New Testament scholar in his Norwegian and Lutheran state-church context. On the other hand, it also describes how his development and life as a student of the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria were influenced by his minority background and the borders he had to cross to achieve his goals. Crossing Borders is thus a description of the life and work of a Norwegian Methodist, scholar, church politician, ecumenist, and an internationally acclaimed writer on the Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria. Students of both the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria should feel enlightened by this volume of how context may influence both a person and his scholarly achievements.

From the Foreword by Paul N. Anderson: ""Among the most provocative New Testament scholars of the tweitieth century, Ernst Kasemann tops the list, and his most striking work is The Testament of Jesus. This brief book is significant not because the bulk of Johannine scholars have fully agreed with it; indeed, most have taken exception to many of its points. The impact of Kasemann's 1966 Shaffer Lectures, delivered at Yale Divinity School and rendered in book form in German and English over the next couple of years, lay in his capacity to communicate worthy insights in sharp and provocative ways, blocking some paths of discussion while opening others.... The Testament of Jesus cannot simply be read. It can only be engaged--refuted and embraced--and dialectically so."" Critical Acclaim for The Testament of Jesus by Ernst Kasemann: ""This stunning reaction to Bultmann's Johannine interpretation follows in the path of F.C. Baur and William Wrede, sharing the critical sharpness and polemic of both. Kasemann's eye for theological controversy and his passionate theological engagement challenge traditional assumptions and invite us to hear the text and read the evangelist's critics in fresh ways."" -- Robert Morgan, University of Oxford ""One of the most influential, albeit highly controversial, studies of the Fourth Gospel in recent decades is Ernst Kasemann's The Testament of Jesus. Although the book's subtitle, 'A Study of the Gospel of John in Light of Chapter 17, ' suggests an exegetical analysis of that chapter, this is no plodding commentary. Rather, the study offers a provocative and sometimes irritating sketch of Johannine theology."" -- Marianne Meye Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary ""All his writing demonstrates his conviction that 'true dialogue depends on meeting, irritating and stimulating each other precisely where the stakes are the highest.' That describes this book nicely, for it represents Kasemann at his iconoclastic best."" -- Wayne Meeks, Yale University Ernst Kasemann (1906-1998) served as a professor of New Testament at Universities of Mainz (1946-51), Gottingen (1951-59), and Tubingen (1959-71), where he became Emeritus Professor and continued to write, lecture, and engage. His antithetical engagements with his mentor, Rudolf Bultmann, are legendary; he served as President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) in 1972.

New, valuable understandings of the historical and religious contexts of New Testament writings continue to emerge. This accessibly written introduction examines over two dozen such crises and how the biblical text addresses, reflects, and embodies them. From the ministry of Jesus, to the rise and propagation of the Christian movement, to the epistles of Paul and other leaders, to a vision of God's final cosmic victory, the New Testament books are succinctly introduced in literary, historical, and theological perspective. Designed for optimal classroom use, each chapter offers four primary features: (a) definition and exploration of relevant contextual crises; (b) connections with the biblical writings; (c) primary features of the biblical narrative; and (d) an application section that engages the student directly and invites thoughtful response.

Scholars continue to unearth valuable understandings of the historical and religious worlds out of which the New Testament writings emerged. This beautifully-crafted introduction notes more than two dozen contextual crises and how the biblical text addresses and reflects them. From the ministry of Jesus, to the rise and progress of the Christian movement, to the epistles of Paul and other leaders, to a vision of God's final cosmic victory, the New Testament books are succinctly introduced in literary, historical, and theological perspectives. Designed for optimal use in a 14- or a 10-week undergraduate or graduate course, each chapter is designed with four primary features in mind: (a) contextual crises shedding light on the subject; (b) connections with the biblical writings being discussed in that chapter; (c) primary features of the book(s) being discussed; and (d) an application section dealing with the relevance of the biblical content then and now. Anderson also uses call-out boxes and shorter vignettes to heighten particular themes, while images, charts, and maps are used to make information accessible for students.

Paul Anderson, a leading scholar of the Fourth Gospel, provides an introductory textbook, crafted for a semester course, which leads students through literary, historical, and theological aspects of the Fourth Gospel's most vexing puzzles. Traditional, historical-critical, and literary-critical approaches are deftly introduced and their limitations evaluated; questions of the Gospel's authorship, composition, relationship to the Synoptics, and origins in particular historical experiences are succinctly addressed; and distinctive Johannine perspectives on Jesus, the church, and the world are discussed.

Long before the New Quest for Jesus... Henry Cadbury followed his first book on Jesus, The Peril of Modernizing Jesus (1937) with a second a decade later. While still challenging our tendencies to confine the Master of Galilee to familiar programs and strategies, Jesus: What Manner of Man poses a more constructive approach to what might be known about the Jesus of history. In doing so, Cadbury focuses not simply on what he said and did, but more incisively on how Jesus taught and operated. Building on pressing questions about Jesus within the Gospels themselves, Cadbury brings their inquiry to bear on contemporary quests for Jesus with striking relevance. - from the new foreword by Paul N. Anderson, George Fox University ""This is a thoughtful and a thought-provoking book, the kind (of which, alas, there are too few) that deserves to be read slowly, with many a re-reading of weighty sentences."" Bruce M. Metzger, Princeton Theological Seminary ""One despairs of suggesting the richness of this book. It is full of penetrating insights and what is said in passing is likely to be as illuminating as the point which at the given moment is being intentionally made.... This is honest and constructive interpretation--searching, often disturbing, but both cleansing and creative. Although this is a small book, I shall be surprised if it does not soon take its place as one of the most important in the study of the life and teaching of Jesus."" John Knox, Union Theological Seminary Henry J. Cadbury (1883-1974) stands as one of the premier American biblical scholars of the twentieth century. He held the Hollis Chair at Harvard for twenty years and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 on behalf of the American Friends Service Committee. Author of seven books and over 160 essays on biblical subjects, Cadbury's work on Luke-Acts, Jesus, and interpretive issues speaks with a timeless ring of authority.

This book challenges the modernistic view that because "John" is theological and different from the Synoptics it cannot be historical.This book engages critically one of the most pervasive sets of assumptions within modern biblical studies: namely, that because John is theological and different from the Synoptics, it cannot be historical - nor does it contribute anything of substance to the quest for the historical Jesus. Part I develops a brief history of the debate. Part II assesses critically the strengths and weaknesses of six planks comprising the foundation for two major platforms. The first involves 'the de-historicization of John', the second 'the de-Johannification of Jesus'. Part III takes on centrally the question of how John's tradition may have developed in ways that are largely autonomous and individuated, but also holding open the possibility of contact with parallel gospel traditions.Part IV develops the particular contributions made by the Synoptics to the historical investigation of Jesus, and likewise those made by the Johannine tradition. Part V then develops an array of implications emerging from the present study, sketching trajectories for further investigation and paths of extended inquiry. While this approach may be mistaken as an appeal for the traditional view or a post-modern exploration, it is neither. It intends to be a critical analysis of the so-called 'critical consensus' on John's historicity and expulsion from historical Jesus resources. This book could contribute to opening a new approach in Johannine and Jesus studies alike.Formerly the "Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement", a book series that explores the many aspects of "New Testament" study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches.