The Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology

by John Ronning

At the beginning of his gospel, John refers to Jesus Christ as the Logos--the "Word." John Ronning makes a case that the Jewish Targums--interpretive translations of the Old Testament into Aramaic that were read in synagogues--hold the key to understanding John's Logos title. Examining numerous texts in the fourth gospel in the light of the Targums, Ronning shows how connecting the Logos with the targumic Memra (word) unlocks the meaning of a host of theological themes that run throughout the Gospel of John.

Genres: Christianity

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2010

About the author

John Ronning received his Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in 1976, before completing a PhD in Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1997.

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great work of scholarship, illuminating the Old Testament and Targumic background of the entire book of John. Ronning demonstrates that throughout John's gospel (and the rest of the NT), Jesus presented as YHWH come in the flesh. I think the title could deter some people from picking up and exploring this wealth of biblical theology.