Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 32:1 (Oct 2021)
Article: Editorial
Author: Cornelia van Deventer

Conspectus 32:1 (October 2021) p. 4

Editorial

Cornelia van Deventer

This issue is unique for two reasons: first, it marks the transition from one editor to another and second, it has a distinctly Johannine flavor. I shall say something about the former as I conclude. The journal features twelve selected articles from SATS’s annual e-conference titled, “Jesus and the Fourth Gospel,” followed by two book reviews. Covering a broad spectrum of themes ranging from Johannine historicity to the gospel’s implications for leadership, youth work, and public theology, the ensemble will prove enjoyable to readers across the spectrum of theological sub-disciplines. As you immerse yourself in the various dimensions of the Fourth Gospel, our hope is that this issue will be life-giving and faith-affirming, like the subject of its content (see John 20:30–31).

Conspectus 32 Articles

The issue launches into Prof. Paul N. Anderson’s article, “Jesus in Johannine Perspective: Inviting A Fourth Quest for Jesus.” Here, Anderson critiques the parsimonious quests for the historical Jesus, lamenting the neglect of the Gospel of John. He advocates for a Fourth Quest for Jesus—one inclusive and appreciative of John’s unique and historical contribution.

In another article about John’s historicity, “Is Jesus John’s Mouthpiece? Reconsidering Johannine Idiom,” Dr. Lydia McGrew aptly challenges the view that Johannine idiom is indicative of elaborations of Jesus’s discourses on the part of the evangelist. Rather, by referring to explanatory “asides” and unexplained allusions, she argues that John was scrupulous in his recordings and retellings of Jesus’s teachings.

Moving on to hermeneutics, in her article, “Jesus, our Liberator: An Intercultural Dialogue,” Prof. Elizabeth Mburu underscores and demonstrates the importance of contextual African hermeneutics, illustrating how such a reading reveals Jesus as liberator in John 8:31–47 and what the significance is for African contexts.

Next is an article entitled, “On Understanding and Translating ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν in John’s Gospel against the Backdrop of English and a Selection of African Languages,” by Dr. Lynell Zogbo. Zogbo maps out and analyzes the use of John’s unique double “amen” formula, offering insightful suggestions to Bible translators in Africa and beyond.

In his article, “The Use of πιστεύω in the Gospel of John: Some Considerations on Meaning and Issues of Consistency and Ambiguity,” Dr. Tony Costa analyzes the Fourth Gospel’s use of �...