John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer

by James F. McGrath

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2024

Overview

A groundbreaking historical-critical study of John the Baptist

In the popular imagination, John the Baptist plays the supporting role of Jesus’s unkempt forerunner. But meticulous historical study reveals his wide-reaching and enduring influence on the history of religion.

The first study of its kind, John of History, Baptist of Faith sheds light on the historical John the Baptist and his world. James F. McGrath applies historical-critical methodology not only to the New Testament but also to the Mandaean Book of John, a holy text of the last extant gnostic sect. McGrath uses the teachings of John’s pupil, Jesus, as a window into his mentor’s beliefs. Along the way, he brings new clarity to questions of contention among scholars, such as John’s use of immersion as a substitute for temple sacrifice.

Bold in its claims yet careful in its methodology, John of History, Baptist of Faith lends fresh insight into John, Jesus, and their world. McGrath’s pioneering monograph will challenge and intrigue students and scholars of the New Testament and Second Temple Judaism.

Key Features

• Sheds light on the historical John the Baptist and his world
• Brings new clarity to questions of contention among scholars

Product Details

• Title: John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer
• Author: James F. McGrath
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2024
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 438
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: John, the Baptist, Saint
• ISBNs: 9780802883995, 0802883990
• Resource ID: LLS:JHNHSTHSTRBPTZR
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-10-15T17:51:51Z

About James F. McGrath

James F. McGrath is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University in Indianapolis. He has published widely on the New Testament and early Christianity as well as on religion in popular culture, especially science fiction. He is the author of What Jesus Learned from Women (2021) and Theology and Science Fiction (2016). He is also the editor of Religion and Science Fiction (2011), and the coeditor of Religion and Doctor Who: Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith (2013).