The Gospel of John and Contemporary Society: Three Major Theological Contributions

Peer reviewed: TruePublication status: PublishedThe motives for a 20-year project on the Gospel of John, and the approach taken, are described. Then three major contributions to the twenty-first century are explored: first, the essentials of a Christian worldview; second, who Jesus Christ is, and his presence to readers of the Gospel now; and, third, the spirituality of Christian discipleship as one of learning, loving, and praying, encouraging daring improvisation in the Spirit now. The culmination is the potential of John’s wisdom and pedagogy of desire for a wide range of twenty-first century challenges, and an invitation to a Johannine Renaissance today, shaped through the double simplicity of trusting testimony and habitual rereading.