Quotations in John ― Studies on Jewish Scripture in the Fourth Gospel

In this book Michael Daise identifies literary features among six quotations in the Fourth Gospel which suggest they should be revisited as clusters rather than as discrete units. Three quotations are the only ones whose introductory formulae explicitly ascribe them to Isaiah; three are the only ones cast as being 'remembered' by Jesus' disciples; and each of these groupings forms an inclusio within the Book of Signs which, when combined with the other, produces a chiasmus to Jesus' public ministry.

In three studies Daise examines these clusters with a view toward addressing their exegetical issues and teasing out their theological implications. After an introductory apologia for an historical-critical and theological approach, the first two studies (chapters 1-4) distill the narrative themes embedded in the Isaianic and 'remembrance' inclusios, respectively; and with this complete, the third study (chapter 5) reconstructs the synthesis of those themes created by the chiasmus and translates its key elements into theological categories. It is concluded that, while the Isaianic inclusio brings 'closure' to the Book of Signs (by disclosing the angelic cause of the Jews' unbelief), the 'remembrance' inclusio creates an anticipation of the Book of Glory (by casting Jesus as poised to establish a new dynasty by casting out that angelic cause); and this broader storyline, it is argued, carries ramifications for an array of motifs in the Fourth Gospel's theological taxonomy: particularly, its christology, soteriology, eschatology, ecclesiology and pneumatology.

Michael A. Daise is Associate Professor of Religion at the College of William and Mary, USA.