Rediscovering John

Book excerpt: The idea of dedicating a Festschrift to honor Professor Frédéric Manns on the happy occasion of his 70th birthday came to mind in the autumn of 2011 and work on this project had been continuing ever since. Felicitously achieving this goal, the Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum) and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land present this volume to Father Manns with gratitude for his profound scholarship and a lifetime service in the Holy Land. Perusing through Father Manns’ writings, it is easy to see a prominent and distinctive place devoted to the Gospel of John. It seemed therefore suitable to focus on this subject in the Festschrift honoring him: the title, Rediscovering John, relates to Manns’ significant contribution towards the better understanding of the Fourth Gospel. The volume comprises 21 studies authored by renowned scholars from various parts of the world, from different institutions and denominations. While the first half of the studies examines general issues (history of interpretation, textual transmission, intertextuality, theological themes, archaeology), the second half treats literary, narrative and exegetical approaches to particular texts of the Fourth Gospel. We augur that this rich collection will help to stimulate further discussion and reflection on the Gospel of John, as well as constitute an incentive to an already distinguished scholar to continue writing challenging and thought-provoking essays and books. (from the Foreword by the Editor)