John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist

by Warren Carter

The Final Volume in a Well-Received Gospel Study Ideal for students who are beginning New Testament studies or taking an elective after doing an introductory course, Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist will also benefit clergy seeking a fresh way of conveying the Johannine message to a twenty-first century audience. Carter’s study is also useful for Bible study groups who prefer engaging topics in depth. In addition to providing familiarity with central matters related to the gospel, it helpfully engages the two dominant methods used in current interpretive work, namely, narrative and historical approaches to John. Besides offering helpful synthesis of existing material, the book introduces readers to a neglected element in Johannine the gospel’s negotiation of the Roman imperial world. ABOUT THE GOSPEL STUDY Advanced college, seminary, and graduate students appreciate these broadly accessible introductions to the four gospels. By considering each gospel from three important angles of storyteller, interpreter, and evangelist, they help readers grasp the literary and theological accomplishments of their ancient authors. Praise for Carter’s Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist "With a deft touch and an eye for detail, Carter invites the reader to follow him on a well-planned literary tour of the world of Matthew’s Gospel and its story of Jesus. Writing for students, ministers, and scholars alike, Carter demonstrates a fine mastery of both historical and literary methods." —Jack Dean Kingsbury, Union Theological Seminary, Editor, A Journal of Bible and Theology

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Warren Carter is Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School. He came to Brite in 2007 after teaching for 17 years at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. His scholarly work has focused on the gospels of Matthew and John, and he has focused on the issue of the ways in which early Christians negotiated the Roman empire. In addition to numerous scholarly articles, he is the author of ten books including Matthew and the Margins (Orbis Books), Matthew and Empire (Trinity Press International/Continuum), The Roman Empire and the New Testament (Abingdon), John and Empire (T&T Clark/Continuum), and What Does Revelation Reveal? (Abingdon). He has also contributed to numerous church resources and publications such as contributing 15 studies on Matthew in The Pastors Bible Study Vol 1 (Abingdon). He is a frequent speaker at scholarly and ecclesial conferences.

Degrees
Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1991
Th.M., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1986
B.D., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1985
B.A., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, 1976

Reviews

[Sagely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this volume for a graduate course on narrative criticism. I didn't feel like I gained all that much from the course; John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, however, has proved again and again to be a valuable resource in understanding this dense Gospel.

As the subtitle suggests, Warren Carter approaches John (or whomever we'd like to say is responsible for this Gospel as we have it) first on the narrative/literary level of a storyteller, then as an interpreter of Jesus traditions, and finally as someone with a message to proclaim. On each level, Carter breathes a bit of life into discussion that all too often smell like musty library journal stacks.

This is a great book for anyone wanting a broader, more penetrating view of John's Gospel. I especially recommend it to folks preaching or teaching the book. Each of the three sections offer valuable material so you can orient yourself when you dive into John's disorienting Gospel.

[E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a very helpful discussion of the Gospel of John. I've owned it and used it for years, but hadn't read through it, which I did this month as I've begun a sermon series on John that will last for a few months.

This is not a commentary, which explicates each chapter of the Gospel. Rather, it is an introduction to the gospel discussing its themes, characters, plots, images, style, authors/editors, audience, etc. Which means that if you are wanting to look up something about a particular passage, you have to jump around a lot, using the index. But I've still found it very useful in sermon preparation.

Carter believes that the question "What is the gospel according to John?" can be answered with:

"The good news according to John is that Jesus is the definitive revealer of God's life-giving purposes and that this mission continues in and through the alternative community, the church, an antisociety that is sustained by the Spirit, or Paraclete, in a hostile world until God's purposes are established in full."

"Jesus as revealer of God's life-giving purposes" preaches very well.