What is the origin and background of the Prologue of the Gospel of John? How does it stand in relation to the rest of the Gospel? The papers in this volume addressing these questions were presented at the first meeting of the Colloquium Ioanneum, an international group of scholars distinguished by their contributions to Johannine studies.

A key to understanding the Gospel of John is, in many respects, its prologue; yet questions regarding its origin and background, its structure, use of Greek philosophical terms, and indeed its relationship to the rest of the gospel still remain open. The papers in this volume address each of these questions and were presented at the first meeting of the Colloquium Ioanneum, a group of distinguished international Johannine scholars broadly representing different nationalities, religious traditions and approaches to the gospel. The first part offers differing assessments of the background, literary, and theological elements of the prologue, while the second examines presuppositions, methods, and perspectives involved in philosophical interpretation of the Gospel of John.

Autorentext
Born 1952; emeritus professor of the University of Pretoria (South Africa) and Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands). Born 1946; PhD from Duke University; taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Baylor University, and Mercer University, founding dean of the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University; retired since 2016. Geboren 1952; Studium, Promotion und Habilitation in Göttingen; Pastor der Hannoverschen Landeskirche; 1986-92 Professor für Neues Testament in Erlangen, 1992-2017 in Halle; seit 2017 im Ruhestand.

Inhalt
Part 1: Confronting the Challenges of the Prologue
R. Alan Culpepper: The Prologue as Theological Prolegomenon to the Gospel of John - John Ashton: Really a Prologue? - William R. G. Loader: The Significance of the Prologue for Understanding John's Soteriology - Jan G. van der Watt: John 1:1 - A "Riddle"? Grammar and Syntax Considered - Catrin H. Williams: (Not) Seeing God in the Prologue and Body of John's Gospel - Ruben Zimmermann: John (the Baptist) as a Character in the Fourth Gospel: The Narrative Strategy of a Witness Disappearing - Michael Theobald: Eine Gemeinschaft von "Zeugen" (von Joh 1:7, 15 bis 3 Joh 12): Beobachtungen zur Genese des Corpus Iohanneum auf der Basis des Prologs - Christos Karakolis: The Logos-Concept and Dramatic Irony in the Johannine Prologue and Narrative

Part 2: Reading the Language and Concepts of the Prologue in Their Philosophical Context
Udo Schnelle: Philosophische Interpretation des Johannesevangeliums: Voraussetzungen, Methoden und Perspektiven - Jörg Frey: Between Torah and Stoa: How Could Readers Have Understood the Johannine Logos? - Craig R. Koester: "Spirit" (Pneuma) in Greco-Roman Philosophy and the Gospel of John - George L. Parsenios: Confounding Foes and Counseling Friends: Parrsia in the Fourth Gospel and Greco-Roman Philosophy - Marianne Meye Thompson: "Light" (): The Philosophical Content of the Term and the Gospel of John - Jean Zumstein: "Zeichen" (): Philosophischer Inhalt und Gebrauch des Begriffs im Johannesevangelium