1, 2, and 3 John

Many initial readers are at a loss when they first encounter the Johannine Letters, uncertain as to what sort of letters they are and where they belong in the world of early Christianity, and whether they are anything more than an appendix to the more familiar Gospel. With a sure hand Warren Carter guides them through some of the key debates in answering these questions and allows the letters’ distinctive outlook to emerge out of the shadows and to invite serious theological engagement. * Judith Lieu, Robinson College, Cambridge University, UK * Carter focuses on the primary matter for interpretation of 1–3 John: whether to read these three texts polemically as addressing a schism affecting three churches within a community, or read them pastorally as addressing the spiritual needs of three independent churches. Carter prefers the latter option and reads these texts as epideictic rhetoric constructing and actualizing identity among the recipients. This approach introduces 1–3 John in a very engaging fashion. * Duane F. Watson, Malone University, USA * Although I have not changed the views I expressed in my Sacra Pagina Commentary of 2002, I welcome the fresh views of Warren Carter’s rhetorical approach, which has become more prominent in recent times but was not absent when I wrote. Likewise, he reviews the common authorship of the three writings and their relationship to the Fourth Gospel. * John Painter, Charles Sturt University, Australia *