Christopher W. Skinner | Loyola University Chicago (original) (raw)

Books by Christopher W. Skinner

The Interpreting Johannine Literature series is born from the desire of a group of Johannine scho... more The Interpreting Johannine Literature series is born from the desire of a group of Johannine scholars to bring rigorous study and explicit methodology into the teaching of these New Testament texts and their contexts. This series explores critical and perspectival approaches to the Gospel and Epistles of John. Historical-and literary-critical concerns are often augmented by current interpretive questions. Therefore, both a variety of approaches and critical self-awareness characterize titles in the series. Hermeneutical diversity and precision will continue to shed new light on the multi-faceted content and discourse of the Johannine Literature.

The Gospel of John is often found at the center of discussions about the Bible and its relation t... more The Gospel of John is often found at the center of discussions about the Bible and its relation to Christian theology. It is difficult to quantify the impact John’s Gospel has had on both the historical development of Christian doctrine and the various expressions of Christian devotion. All too often, however, readers have failed to understand the gospel as an autonomous text with its own unique story to tell. More often than not, the Gospel of John is swept into a reading approach that either conflates or attempts to harmonize with other accounts of Jesus’ life. This book emphasizes the uniqueness of John’s story of Jesus and attempts to provide readers with a road map for appreciating the historical context and literary features of the text. The aim of this book is to produce better, more perceptive readers of the Gospel of John, with an ability to trace the rhetoric of the narrative from beginning to end.

Characters in the Second Gospel are analysed and an in-depth look at different approaches current... more Characters in the Second Gospel are analysed and an in-depth look at different approaches currently employed by scholars working with literary and reader-oriented methods of analysis is provided. The first section consists of essays on method/theory, and the second consists of seven exegetical character studies using a literary or reader-oriented method. All contributors work from a literary, narrative-critical, reader-oriented, or related methodology.

The book summarizes the state of the discussion and examines obstacles to arriving at a comprehensive theory of character in the Second Gospel. Specific contributions include analyses of the representation of women, God, Jesus, Satan, Gentiles, and the Roman authorities of Mark's Gospel. This work is both an exploration of theories of character, and a study in the application of those theories.

This volume examines characters in the Fourth Gospel and provides an in-depth look at different a... more This volume examines characters in the Fourth Gospel and provides an in-depth look at different approaches currently employed by scholars working with literary and reader-oriented methods. Divided into two sections, the book first considers method and theory, followed by exegetical character studies using a literary or reader-oriented method. It summarizes the state of the discussion, examines obstacles to arriving at a comprehensive theory of character in the Fourth Gospel, compares different approaches, and compiles the diverse methodologies into one comparative study. Through this detailed exegesis, the various theories will come alive, and the merits or deficiencies of each approach will be available to the reader. This volume is both a comprehensive study in narrative/reader-oriented theories, and a study in the application of those theories as they apply to characterization. Summing up current research on characters and characterization in the Fourth Gospel, this book also provides a comprehensive presentation of different approaches to character that have developed in recent years.

This volume addresses the perennial issue of unity and diversity in the New Testament canon. Cele... more This volume addresses the perennial issue of unity and diversity in the New Testament canon. Celebrating the academic legacy of Fr. Frank J. Matera, colleagues and friends interact with elements of his many important works. Scholars and students alike will find fresh and stimulating discussions that navigate the turbulent waters between the Gospels and Paul, ranging from questions of Matthew's so-called anti-Pauline polemic to cruciform teaching in the New Testament. The volume includes contributions from leading scholars in the field, offering a rich array of insights on issues such as Christology, social ethics, soteriology, and more. The contributors are Paul J. Achtemeier, Sherri Brown, Raymond F. Collins, A. Andrew Das, John R. Donahue, S.J., Francis T. Gignac, S.J., Michael J. Gorman, Kelly R. Iverson, Luke Timothy Johnson, Jack Dean Kingsbury, William S. Kurz, S.J., John P. Meier, Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B., Christopher W. Skinner, and Matt Whitlock.

Since its discovery the Gospel of Thomas has been the subject of intense study for those with int... more Since its discovery the Gospel of Thomas has been the subject of intense study for those with interests in the developments of earliest Christianity. Three questions remain unanswered in contemporary scholarship: (1) When was Thomas composed?; (2) What is the relationship between Thomas and the canonical Gospels?; (3) What theological outlook is presented in the Gospel of Thomas? This volume provides a comprehensive overview of recent scholarly opinions on these three questions.

Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel, originally published in 1982 and ext... more Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel, originally published in 1982 and extensively revised in 1999, was a turning point in Gospel studies, both for the contribution it made to Markan scholarship and for the methodological insights that it advanced. This volume celebrates Mark as Story and offers critique, engagement, and exploration of the new hermeneutical vistas that emerged in the wake of this pioneering study. In these essays, leading international Markan scholars discuss various texts and themes in the Second Gospel, reflect upon the rise of narrative criticism, and offer a glimpse at future trends in Gospels research. The contributors are Christopher W. Skinner; Mark Allan Powell; Elizabeth Struthers Malbon; Stephen D. Moore; Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B.; Thomas E. Boomershine; R. Alan Culpepper; Morna D. Hooker; Kelly R. Iverson; Holly E. Hearon; Robert M. Fowler; and David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, and Donald Michie.

The hypothesis that the Fourth Gospel is a theological response to the Gospel of Thomas is a rece... more The hypothesis that the Fourth Gospel is a theological response to the Gospel of Thomas is a recent development in the study of the New Testament and early Christianity. Assuming an early date for the Gospel of Thomas, the proponents of this hypothesis argue that the supposed "polemical" presentation of Thomas in the Fourth Gospel is evidence of a conflict between the early communities associated respectively with John and Thomas. However, a detailed narrative study reveals that the Fourth Gospel portrays a host of characters--disciples and non-disciples--in an equally unflattering light where an understanding of Jesus's origins, message, and mission are concerned. The present study attempts to demonstrate that the Fourth Gospel's presentation of Thomas is part and parcel of its treatment of "uncomprehending" characters. If this thesis is correct, it poses a significant challenge to the assumption that the Fourth Gospel contains a polemic against Thomas, or that it was written in response to the Gospel of Thomas or the community associated with Thomas.

Edited Journal Issues by Christopher W. Skinner

Religions, 2023

Special issue co-edited with Zach Eberhart: “Narrative and Performance Criticisms—A Difference of... more Special issue co-edited with Zach Eberhart: “Narrative and Performance Criticisms—A Difference of Degree or Kind?” (contributors: Zach Eberhart, Nick Elder, William Shiell, Megan Wines, Jonathan Homringhausen, Paul Wheatley, among others).

Syndicate, 2019

Forum focused on Richard B. Hays’s book, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels (contributors: Eric B... more Forum focused on Richard B. Hays’s book, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels (contributors: Eric Barreto, Jonathan Bernier, Rebekah Eklund, and Rafael Rodriguez, with responses from Richard Hays).

Articles and Chapters by Christopher W. Skinner

Biblical Research, 2025

The regular use of the ἐγώ εἰμι formulation is a critical component of the Fourth Gospel’s Christ... more The regular use of the ἐγώ εἰμι formulation is a critical component of the Fourth Gospel’s Christological presentation and has long been regarded as uniquely Johannine. Renewed focus on the possibility that John knew and reworked Mark has opened new vistas for thinking about John’s employment and reshaping of his received materials. Against that backdrop, this article suggests that Mark 6:45-52—the scene in which Jesus walks on water and includes one of three ἐγώ εἰμι pronouncements in Mark—is a clear theophany and is ultimately foundational for the development of John’s broader Christological vision.

The Johannine Community in Contemporary Debate, 2024

Few scholarly constructs have proven as influential or as durable as the Johannine community. A p... more Few scholarly constructs have proven as influential or as durable as the Johannine community. A product of the era in New Testament studies dominated by redaction criticism, 1 the Johannine community construct as articulated first by J. Louis Martyn 2 and later by Raymond E. Brown 3 emerged with an explanatory power that proved persuasive to many scholars deliberating on the provenance and emergence of the Johannine literature for the next 50 years. However, recent years have seen this once dominant paradigm questioned by many of those working with the Gospel and Letters of John. 4 An examination of the current state of the question shows that there is little consensus among scholars. Some reject outright the notion of a Johannine community. Others continue to employ the construct while jettisoning some of the particular details associated with its articulation by Martyn, Brown, and others. The idea of a Johannine community-either as something upon which to build or as something to which scholars respond and abandon altogetherdoes not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. In short: the Johannine community remains an essential topic of conversation for those engaged in Johannine studies. 5 The conception and production of this book has been motivated by the desire to explore the current state of the question while shining a light on new and constructive proposals for understanding the emergence of the Johannine literature. Some of the chapters that follow proceed under the assumption that a Johannine community ostensibly existed in some form, even if not in a one-to-one correspondence with the reconstructions that dominated Johannine studies for the latter part of the 20th century. Other chapters take as their starting point, a complete rejection of the idea that the Johannine writings arose C01

Religions, 2023

Syndicate, 2019

Biblical Research, 2025

The Johannine Community in Contemporary Debate, 2024

The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels, 2d. ed., 2021

Cruciform Scripture: Cross, Participation, Mission, 2021

Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2020

The third fascicle of New Testament Studies in 2017 contained an article by Urban C. von Wahlde i... more The third fascicle of New Testament Studies in 2017 contained an article by Urban C. von Wahlde in which he critiqued contemporary narrative readings of the religious authorities in the Fourth Gospel. In this article, I respond to some of his claims by (1) pointing out specific concerns he has overlooked, and (2) providing a counterpoint to some of his broad claims about contemporary narrative-critical readings of the Fourth Gospel.

Currents in Biblical Research, 2020

For decades the scholarly consensus held that the Fourth Gospel was either devoid of ethics or th... more For decades the scholarly consensus held that the Fourth Gospel was either devoid of ethics or that its ethical material was narrow, exclusive, and sectarian. In recent years, that consensus has begun to show signs of wear. This article examines the more recent turn to 'implied' ethics by looking at four English-language books on the subject published in the past four years. This examination is undertaken with a view to tracing a newly emerging consensus, which holds that (1) the Gospel of John has ethical material, and (2) that material must be taken seriously by those reflecting on ancient ethical systems in general and New Testament ethics in particular. Further, the emerging consensus holds that the implied ethics of the Fourth Gospel, far from being strictly sectarian, are useful for reflecting on and/or constructing models of normative Christian behavior. A Brief Look at the Old Consensus The last decade witnessed a surge of interest in the question of Johannine ethics. Eschewing the long-held consensus that the Fourth Gospel lacks ethical material, contemporary treatments have approached the subject with greater nuance and a more robust scholarly imagination than in previous decades. Recognizing that the gospel lacks the same type of ethical discourse as the Pauline correspondence or the Synoptic Gospels, previous commentators had dismissed the gospel

Horizons in Biblical Theology, 2018

It is often said that the Johannine Jesus never utters a narrative parable like those that are so... more It is often said that the Johannine Jesus never utters a narrative parable like those that are so ubiquitous throughout the Synoptics. However, in John 10, we have the closest parallel in the so-called “Good Shepherd” discourse, where Jesus uses a “figure of speech” (παροιμία) to compare himself to a benevolent or noble shepherd. This article will explore this παροιμία in light of the unfolding narrative Christology over the first nine chapters. Against that backdrop, we will examine the questions: “What historical information can reasonably be inferred as part of the literary construct known as the implied audience?,” and “How has the implied audience been prepared by the narrator to receive this metaphorical speech?”

Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2018

Scholars have long recognized that the Good Shepherd discourse reflects a realistic picture of th... more Scholars have long recognized that the Good Shepherd discourse reflects a realistic picture of the ancient Palestinian shepherd and his relationship to the flock. But how far should the details in this metaphor be pressed? It is often asserted that any halfway decent shepherd would have been willing to die on behalf of his flock and that Jesus’ statement to that effect (10:11, 15, 17) reflects a common expectation. However, this scenario would actually leave a flock more exposed to danger. Thus, it is appropriate to understand Jesus’ pronouncement as falling outside the realm of historical verisimilitude and better to regard the “laying down of the shepherd’s life” as the singular element of the discourse that is intended to advance the story’s Christological agenda.

Let the Reader Understand: Essays in Honor of Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, 2018

In her 2009 volume, Mark's Jesus , Elizabeth Struthers Malbon introduces readers to fi ve diff er... more In her 2009 volume, Mark's Jesus , Elizabeth Struthers Malbon introduces readers to fi ve diff erent ways in which the Gospel of Mark characterizes Jesus: (1) enacted christology (what Jesus does); (2) projected christology (what others say about Jesus); (3) defl ected christology (what Jesus says in response); (4) refracted christology (what Jesus says instead); and (5) refl ected christology (what others do). 1 In drawing out both the words and deeds of various characters and the text's explicit and implicit commentary, Malbon combines several areas of research with which she has become associated during her scholarly career. First, she continues her tradition of insightful narrative commentary on the Gospel of Mark, 2 while connecting that with her work on Markan characters and characterization-a subject on which she is the foremost authority among those currently working in Markan studies. 3 She then uses these two concerns to help 1 . Elizabeth Struthers Malbon , Mark's Jesus: Characterization as Narrative Christology ( Waco, TX : Baylor University Press , 2009 ) .

Johannine Ethics: The Moral World of the Gospel and Epistles of John, 2017

A cursory reading of the Johannine literature makes it immediately clear that love is an abiding ... more A cursory reading of the Johannine literature makes it immediately clear that love is an abiding theme across the entire corpus. The various terms for love (agapaō, phileō, and their cognates) appear over one hundred times in the Fourth Gospel and Johannine Epistles. 1 Though there is little dispute among scholars as to the importance of this theme for appreciating the message(s) of the Johannine literature, there is significant debate over how John's vision of love is to be understood. In the opening chapter, I presented the various scholarly approaches to the question of John's ethics, and there I discussed the dispute over whether John's ethics are to be understood as sectarian and exclusive or having universal implications. Nowhere is that debate more important than in an examination of John's love command.

Johannine Ethics: The Moral World of the Gospel and Epistles of John, 2017

Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible, 2017

How John Works: Storytelling in the Fourth Gospel, 2016

Evil in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity: Cultural, Historical, and Textual Approaches, 2016

Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2015

A reasoned-eclectic approach to NT textual criticism examines both external and internal evidence... more A reasoned-eclectic approach to NT textual criticism examines both external and internal evidence when evaluating textual problems. This study explores the value of narrative criticism as another internal criterion when discussing intrinsic probabilities; specific attention is given to resolving the textual problem in John 1:34 (“Son of God” versus “God’s chosen one”). After examining the external evidence, the discussion turns to the motif of incomplete understanding that emerges over the first four days of the narrative proper (1:19–51). Against the backdrop of the Johannine prologue (1:1–18), which provides the literary audience with a complete description of Jesus’ identity, this pattern of misunderstanding suggests that “God’s chosen one”—an otherwise unattested term in the Fourth Gospel—is to be preferred over the “Son of God” reading.

Character Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 2014

Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (Brill), 2023

regard this gospel as earlier than or contemporaneous with the Synoptics have heavily emphasized ... more regard this gospel as earlier than or contemporaneous with the Synoptics have heavily emphasized the Gospel of Thomas' potential for helping recover the historical Jesus. For these reasons and others, the Gospel of Thomas has been at the forefront of many serious conversations among scholars of early Christianity since the middle of the 20th century. Discovery At the time of its discovery, the Gospel of Thomas was known to modern scholars only by name because of its denunciation by numerous patristic writers, including Hippolytus of Rome, Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Jerome. Scholars had no access to the text of the Gospel of Thomas until it was uncovered twice in different regions of the Egyptian desert nearly 50 years apart. The first fragments of the gospel were discovered in an ancient trash heap near the Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus, though it is critical to note that no one would realize this was the Gospel of Thomas for another 50 years. Under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, two Oxford archaeologists, B.P. Grenfell and A.S. Hunt, undertook an excavation at Oxyrhynchus on Jan 11, 1897. On the second day of that excavation, they discovered a papyrus fragment written in Greek that contained portions of seven sayings of Jesus, three of which were familiar alongside four others that were previously unattested. Among the familiar sayings were:

The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (deGruyter), 2022

The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (deGruyter) , 2022

T&T Clark Jesus Library (T&T Clark), 2022

Journal of Theological Studies, 2024

More than at any time in perhaps the past 125 years, New Testament scholarship has been returning... more More than at any time in perhaps the past 125 years, New Testament scholarship has been returning to serious questions about the nature of the canonical gospels and the processes behind gospel writing. Questions of early gospel reception (Watson, 2013), gospel genre (Bond, 2020), the role of the gospels within early Christian book culture (Larsen, 2018; Keith, 2020; Gathercole 2022), the performative and narratological milieus in which the canonical gospels emerged (e.g. Rüggemeier, 2017; Iverson, 2021), and the relationship between our gospels and early Christian memory (Kirk, 2023) have all been subjects of serious discussion over the past decade. 1 And while these are only some of the important conversations taking place at this critical moment in gospels research, the aforementioned publications each make constructive arguments with serious implications for our understanding of both the gospels as texts and the ways in which those texts emerged. Robyn Walsh's monograph enters into this fraught space with a bold and compellingly argued thesis that demands to be taken seriously: the gospels emerged, not from literate spokespersons who derived from specific 'gospel communities' , but rather from elite cultural producers (by which she does not mean, those who were part of the ruling elite).

Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2022

Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2022

Journal of Theological Studies, 2021

This volume develops the argument that the manuscript-asartifact was of paramount importance for ... more This volume develops the argument that the manuscript-asartifact was of paramount importance for earliest Christians and for the development of their public identity. After a brief introduction that lays out the foundational assumptions of the argument, the book proceeds in three sections. The first is entitled 'The Gospel as Manuscript', and consists of two chapters. Chapter One begins by challenging the notion that ancient reading was exclusively aloud. Using the work of William Johnson as a launching point, Keith aims to demonstrate that 'Early Christianity … had an extreme text-centeredness of its own' (p. 26). Against this backdrop he introduces two of Jan Assmann's concepts that will reappear throughout the book: zerdehnte Situation ('extended situation') and entourage matériel ('accompanying material'). Applied to Keith's argument, the former concept raises the question, what does a manuscript contribute to the transmission process that orality does not? The latter concept recognizes that material objects-even those that might be considered mundane-are capable of reflecting group identity. Chapter Two, entitled 'Sociologies of the Book', is one of the longest and most substantive chapters in the book. Here Keith's argument begins to develop in earnest. Responding to the recent work of Eva Mroczek (2016) and Matthew Larsen (2017, 2018)-and particularly their shared emphasis on notions of Jewish and Christian literature 'before the book'-Keith stakes out his own ground, emphasizing both the role of bound book as material artifact and its influence in shaping identity. Having established his own understanding of the book-as-artifact, Keith proceeds to his second section, 'The Gospel as Gospels', which consists of three chapters. Chapter Three is devoted to examining the textualization of Mark's Gospel, with specific focus on the question of why Mark created a shift in the transmission of the gospel material from oral to written, especially since this shift does not appear to have been inevitable. Backing off from the assertion in a previous essay in which he claimed that Mark moved to textuality with the intent of creating a zerdehnte Situation, Keith is more circumspect here, acknowledging that we cannot know what Mark intended, even if his move toward textuality inevitably resulted in numerous zerdehnten Situationen. Chapters Four and Five deal

Religious Studies Review, 2021

this complication in two major ways. First, he claims that the link between the Passover and Jesu... more this complication in two major ways. First, he claims that the link between the Passover and Jesus's passion through Luke 22 makes Passover references more likely in scenes modeled on the passion. Second, he notes clear Exodus parallels in the texts (the Passover being a crucial point of the Exodus narrative), as well as more subtle allusions to the Passover. Although some of his conclusions seem tenuous at first glance, his command of the LXX, HB, Second Temple, and early Christian literature allows him to craft convincing arguments.

Journal of Theological Studies

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

This is a vocabulary list taken from the first 15 chapters of Bentley Layton's Coptic in 20 Lesso... more This is a vocabulary list taken from the first 15 chapters of Bentley Layton's Coptic in 20 Lessons.