Rereading the ""Shepherd Discourse

230 Pages·2008·1.669 MB·English

by  Karoline M. Lewis

Rereading the
“Shepherd Discourse”
Studies in Biblical Literature

Hemchand Gossai
General Editor

Vol. 113

PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt am Main (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
Karoline M. Lewis

Rereading the
“Shepherd Discourse”

Restoring the Integrity
of John 9:39–10:21

PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt am Main (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lewis, Karoline M.
Rereading the Shepherd Discourse: restoring the integrity
of John 9:39–10:21 / Karoline M. Lewis.
p. cm. — (Studies in biblical literature; v. 113)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Bible. N.T. John IX, 39–X, 21—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
BS2615.52.L49 226.5’06—dc22 2007046373
ISBN 978-1-4331-0190-8
ISSN 1089-0645

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
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on the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de/.

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of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
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Printed in Germany
Table of Contents
Editor’s Preface..............................................................................................ix
Acknowledgments............................................................................................xi
List of Abbreviations....................................................................................xiii
Chapter One: Setting the Problem..............................................................1
The Internal Integrity of John 9:39–10:21................................................1
Defining the paroimi,a........................................................................2
The Search for Sources......................................................................7
The Contextual Integrity of the Discourse.............................................11
The Relationship Between 9:39–10:21 and Chapter 9.....................11
John 9:39–10:21 as Discourse.........................................................12
The Function of 9:39–10:21 in the Johannine Narrative.................13
Another Way Forward............................................................................14
Summary................................................................................................19
Chapter Two: Toward a New Reading Strategy......................................33
Situating Rereading in Literary Theory..................................................33
Locating the Theoretical Roots of Rereading..................................33
Defining Rereading..........................................................................41
The Nature of the Reader and Reading.....................................41
Literary Features of Rereading.................................................45
Summary..........................................................................................49
Rereading in Biblical Criticism..............................................................49
Rereading as Interpretation or Reinterpretation...............................50
Rereading as Compositional Character............................................51
Rereading as Intentional Reading Perspective.................................52
Rereading and the Gospel of John..........................................................57
Methodological Considerations..............................................................59
Summary................................................................................................61
Chapter Three: Restoring the Internal Integrity of the Discourse.........81
Conventional Linear Models of Reading................................................82
vi Rereading the “Shepherd Discourse”

10:6 and the paroimi,a......................................................................82
The Parable/Explanation Structure..................................................85
The Search for Referents.................................................................86
Employing Rereading as a Reading Strategy.........................................87
Repetition.........................................................................................87
Repetition of Key Images...........................................................88
Repetition of Concepts or Themes.............................................93
Structural Repetitions..............................................................100
Ambiguity......................................................................................101
Secrecy and Textual Concealment.................................................103
Orality............................................................................................104
Oral/Aural Relationships........................................................104
Foreshadowings and Echoes...................................................107
Synonyms.......................................................................................111
New Terminology..........................................................................114
Summary..............................................................................................117
Chapter Four: Rereading the Shepherd Discourse
Back into the Fourth Gospel..............................................................129
John 9:39-10:21 as Discourse...............................................................129
The Boundaries of the Discourse...................................................129
Restoring the Connection Between Discourse and Sign................132
Repetition.................................................................................133
Ambiguity.................................................................................137
Secrecy or Textual Concealment.............................................138
Echoes and Foreshadowings...................................................139
Synonymy.................................................................................140
New Terminology....................................................................141
Summary..................................................................................142
The Shepherd Discourse as Discourse...........................................143
The Relationship Between John 9:39-10:21 and the Gospel................145
The Motif of Hearing and Sight.....................................................146
The Motif of the Thief...................................................................148
The Motif of the Robber................................................................149
The Motif of the Sheep and the Shepherd......................................151
The Motif of the Door....................................................................153
Summary..............................................................................................157
Table of Contents vii

Chapter Five: Methodological and Theological Implications...............177
Summary..............................................................................................177
Implications for Further Research........................................................178
Rereading as Theology.........................................................................180
Bibliography...............................................................................................189
Name & Subject Index................................................................................205
Scripture Index............................................................................................209
Editor’s Preface
M
ore than ever the horizons in biblical literature are being expanded
beyond that which is immediately imagined; important new
methodological, theological, and hermeneutical directions are
being explored, often resulting in significant contributions to the world of
biblical scholarship. It is an exciting time for the academy as engagement in
biblical studies continues to be heightened.
This series seeks to make available to scholars and institutions, scholar-
ship of a high order, and which will make a significant contribution to the
ongoing biblical discourse. This series includes established and innovative
directions, covering general and particular areas in biblical study. For every
volume considered for this series, we explore the question as to whether the
study will push the horizons of biblical scholarship. The answer must be yes
for inclusion.
In this volume Karoline Lewis examines the “Shepherd Discourse” in
John 10:1–21 with a particular focus on the internal integrity of the larger
unit of John 9:39–10:21. In her argument Lewis systematically and with
intentional care and attention to the various scholarly positions, outlines
those directions that have shaped the interpretation of this text. Lewis argues
for the interpretation and understanding of this text based on an integrative
reading, both in terms of the immediate context and the wider context of the
Gospel, and proceeds with an eye toward new and recovered theological
trajectories. Here is a study that scholars will find instructive and sophis-
ticated, and the ideas and arguments generated here will certainly extend the
discussion in unavoidable ways. This is an important and wide-ranging
addition to the already well established body of scholarly work on this text,
and it is one that I believe will surely expand the discourse on this text in
significant ways.
The horizon has been expanded.

Hemchand Gossai
Series Editor
Acknowledgments
T
his book is a revision of my dissertation written for a Ph.D. in New
Testament Studies from the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory
University in Atlanta, Georgia. For as many words as are found in
the pages of this book, it is difficult to find sufficient words of gratitude for
the many people who made the completion of this project possible. My
deepest appreciation goes to my advisor, Dr. Gail R. O’Day, whose first
words about this topic were, “I think this can be done, and I think it can be
done by you.” Her revisions and “rereadings” of many drafts provided
clarity, substance, and the encouragement I needed to find my voice in the
interpretation of the “Shepherd Discourse.” I am also sincerely grateful to the
members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, Dr.
Robert Kysar, and Dr. Thomas G. Long for their pointed advice on the
improvement of the manuscript and their vision for the future possibilities of
this project.
The faculty and students at Emory University create a collegial and
supportive environment for the challenging task of doctoral work. I want to
thank Dr. Steven J. Kraftchick, Dr. Carl Holladay, and Dr. Hendrikus Boers,
whose guidance and instruction were invaluable. My classmates Beth Webb
and Faith Kirkham Hawkins provided wisdom and friendship. I am
especially grateful to Bryan Whitfield, who in every conceivable way has
been colleague, friend, and partner in this journey.
I want to thank Peter Lang Publishing for interest in this book,
particularly Dr. Heidi Burns, Senior Editor, who initially contacted me about
submitting the manuscript, and Rachel Ephraim, my Production Contact, for
her timely communication and clarity of instruction. I especially want to
thank Hemchand Gossai, Series Editor, for his careful work with the
manuscript and his gracious support of the project. Finally, my heartfelt
gratitude goes to Victoria Smith, Faculty Secretary at Luther Seminary, for
her dedication, time, and enthusiasm. Her formatting, editing, and creative
detail resulted in a polished presentation, of which she should be very proud.
I know that I am because of her extraordinary efforts.