Francis J. Moloney

In order to mark the bicentenary of the foundational dream that Saint John Bosco experienced when only nine years of age (1824), this book offers readers reflections on a number of biblical and theological themes that emerge from the simplicity yet depth of that dream. In the first place, certain elements from the life and person of Jesus are presented as the model for a so-called 'Salesian' spirituality and life-style. Those elements are outlined as an awareness that Jesus never abandons his fragile disciples, and that a genuinely Christian education writes on the hearts of the young. They are never abandoned in the challenging all-pervasive secularity of contemporary society. It closes with a summons to a deeper awareness of the universal possibility of 'the perfection of love' as Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) taught, well before his fellow Savoyard, John Bosco (1815-1888).

In order to mark the bicentenary of the foundational dream that Saint John Bosco experienced when only nine years of age (1824), this book offers readers reflections on a number of biblical and theological themes that emerge from the simplicity yet depth of that dream. In the first place, certain elements from the life and person of Jesus are presented as the model for a so-called 'Salesian' spirituality and life-style. Those elements are outlined as an awareness that Jesus never abandons his fragile disciples, and that a genuinely Christian education writes on the hearts of the young. They are never abandoned in the challenging all-pervasive secularity of contemporary society. It closes with a summons to a deeper awareness of the universal possibility of 'the perfection of love' as Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) taught, well before his fellow Savoyard, John Bosco (1815-1888).

New Testament scholar Johannes Beutler brings together a lifetime of study and reflection in this acclaimed commentary, first published in German in 2013 and now available to English-speaking audiences for the first time. Moving through the Gospel of John with a careful and critical eye, Beutler engages the relevant primary and secondary sources; summarizes the existing discussion; and presents syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic analyses of the text. As he meticulously examines the Fourth Gospel, Beutler pays special attention to the influence of Old Testament and Early Jewish traditions, to the overall structure of the Gospel of John, and to evidence suggesting a later stratum of contextualized "re-readings" in the composition of the Gospel. Bold, literary, and theological, this volume represents a landmark work of German biblical scholarship.

The Gospel of Matthew, like the other Gospels, is a story. The narrative nature of Matthew's account of the life of Jesus unfolds as a plotted sequence of words and events, beginning with his birth and closing with his presence to the disciples as their risen Lord. The location of any single passage within the flow of the unfolding story is a major guide to understanding this Gospel. Matthew is best known for his account of the birth of Jesus (Matt 1—2); Peter's recognition of Jesus as the Son of Man, the Son of God (16:13–20); and the final commission of all the disciples to preach the gospel to all nations (28:16–28). But where do these famous passages appear in the story? What preceded them and what follows? The first Gospel famously highlights five major discourses, during which only Jesus speaks. How do they contribute to Matthew's story of the life of Jesus? The Shape of Matthew's Story focuses upon the temporal and geographical flow of the unfolding narrative, and the interacting roles of the protagonists within it. It traces an early Christian storyteller's single-minded presentation of God, Jesus Christ, the call to discipleship, and the Christian Church. Endorsements: "Throughout his long and productive career, Fr. Francis Moloney has published many works of serious scholarship along with books that address the general public. His ability to speak clearly and intelligently on both levels, often at the same time, is truly remarkable. The Shape of Matthew's Story is a prime example of his making academic research available to the educated laity." —John P. Meier, University of Notre Dame "In typical Moloney fashion, The Shape of Matthew's Story delivers an accessible, insightful, and lucid introduction to the first Gospel. Students and clergy alike will benefit from Moloney's careful attention to the narrative, historical, and theological concerns of the text." —Kelly Iverson, Baylor University "Employing considerable skills as narrative critic, Francis Moloney offers a compelling account of Matthew's story of the Messiah, from birth to death and beyond. With Moloney as reliable guide, Matthew's complex yet profound narrative emerges from the page, inviting the reader into a community of disciples that is taught by Jesus." —Ian Boxall, University of Oxford Francis J. Moloney, SDB, is a graduate of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the University of Oxford. He was Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies and Professor of New Testament at the Catholic University of America (1999–2005). Now in semi-retirement, he is a senior professorial fellow of Catholic Theological College, within the University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia. †

John's Gospel possesses a generous range of meanings and has had an enduring impact across the generations. This book explores that impact from a range of disciplines: from the exegetical and theological to the historical, spiritual, liturgical, musical, pastoral, political, and postcolonial. It encompasses contributions from a number of scholars and writers associated with Trinity College, University of Divinity, Melbourne, who all share a common love for this Gospel and a conviction of its continuing relevance. Australian biblical scholar Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB says in his foreword that various receptions of the Fourth Gospel are illuminatingly explored in this book, which demonstrates how the Gospel of John has played a critical role in shaping the theology and culture of the Christian tradition.

John's Gospel possesses a generous range of meanings and has had an enduring impact across the generations. This book explores that impact from a range of disciplines: from the exegetical and theological to the historical, spiritual, liturgical, musical, pastoral, political, and postcolonial. It encompasses contributions from a number of scholars and writers associated with Trinity College, University of Divinity, Melbourne, who all share a common love for this Gospel and a conviction of its continuing relevance. Australian biblical scholar Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB says in his foreword that various receptions of the Fourth Gospel are illuminatingly explored in this book, which demonstrates how the Gospel of John has played a critical role in shaping the theology and culture of the Christian tradition.

Eminent biblical scholar, Francis J. Moloney, SDB, explores the teaching on mission found in the letters of St Paul, the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Luke-Acts, and the Gospel of John, showing how each inspired author provides unique yet complementary insights into the mission entrusted to the followers of Jesus—a mission ad intra (to the community) and ad Gentes (to the wider world). †

The Book of Revelation is the most challenging book in the New Testament. It has been part of the Christian Bible from the earliest times. It has been violently interpreted and has puzzled believers from the earliest decades of the Christian Church. It is traditionally read as a series of hostile symbolic narratives that describe what will happen at the end of time. This Friendly Guide questions that tradition. As part of a "new look" in Revelation studies, Professor Moloney insists that John of Patmos has used Jewish end-time language to speak of the never-ending presence of the forces of evil in the world, and the victory of God over those forces in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a book that instructs Christians where they should place their trust in troubled times.

2021 Catholic Media Association Award honorable mention award in academic studies Revelation is one of the most difficult and misinterpreted texts in the Christian Scriptures, yet it is widely used in the liturgical life of the Roman Catholic Church. In Reading Revelation at Easter Time, Francis Moloney explores it as a celebration of the perennial and ongoing effects of Jesus' death and resurrection. After an introduction to Revelation, the book provides an interpretation for each biblical reading in the Liturgy of the Hours across the Easter period. A presentation of every passage from Revelation used elsewhere in the Roman liturgy is also provided by means of a different typeface across the commentary. Readers are invited to rejoice in the ongoing victory of "the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8).

While the focus of Broken for You is the Catholic priesthood, the message at the heart of Broken for You is directed to everyone in the church, asserting - against the scourge of clericalism - that there is no class distinction among the people of God who look to Jesus Christ as their guide, light and hope.

In seinen Studien zur Eucharistietheologie in den Evangelien und bei Paulus zeigt der international renommierte Neutestamentler Francis J. Moloney, was die eucharistische Praxis der ersten Christen der Kirche bis heute mit auf den Weg gibt: Die Eucharistie ist kein Lohn fur die Vollkommenen, sondern Gottes gnadenhafte Nahrung fur die Schwachen und Gebrochenen. Ermutigt durch den Aufruf von Papst Franziskus, die biblischen und theologischen Hintergrunde zur Frage des Sakramentenempfangs wiederverheirateter Geschiedener weiter zu vertiefen, widmet sich der Autor auch dieser Frage in seinen Studien ausfuhrlich. Dies ist nicht nur ein Buch fur Wissenschaftler, obwohl es Anmerkungen enthalt, welche die Uberlegungen des Autors innerhalb der breiteren wissenschaftlichen Diskussion zu diesen Fragen verorten. Diese Anmerkungen behalten viel von seiner fruheren Dokumentation bei, bringen sie jedoch bezuglich ihres Umfangs und ihrer Fundierung entscheidend auf den neuesten Stand. Sie konnen jedoch ggf. ignoriert werden. Moloney versucht, in einer Art zu schreiben, die fur alle Menschen verstandlich ist, die sich dafur interessieren, wie die Eucharistie in den christlichen Kirchen gefeiert und gelebt wird. Aus dem Vorwort von Xavier Leon-Dufour: Jesus lebte das Evangelium der Barmherzigkeit und verkundete es ohne Zogern. Daruber hinaus sprach er in erster Linie zu den Armen, den Gebrochenen. Was fur Jesus zahlt, ist nicht die Gerechtigkeit in der Befolgung von Geboten, sondern die bedingungslose Hingabe an seine Person, die Liebe zu Gott und die Liebe zu den Nachsten. Ist diese Vorliebe Jesu in unserer gegenwartigen Feier der Eucharistie noch sichtbar? Ist Jesu Ruf zur Freude erstickt worden durch detaillierte Anweisungen, wer am Mysterium teilnehmen darf und wer nicht? Ist die Gute Nachricht sorgsam in Silos gelagert worden, um sie besser konservieren zu konnen? Damit sie ihre jugendliche Frische nie verliert, muss sie der frischen Luft ausgesetzt werden. Francis Moloney leitet uns an, genau hinzuhoren auf die stets klare Stimme des Lebendigen Wortes.

Accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date, Interpreting the Gospel and Letters of John is an ideal text for students new to the discipline of biblical studies. Sherri Brown and Francis J. Moloney present a broad overview of the story of Christianity arising out of its Jewish foundations and proceed to guide readers expertly through the contents of the Gospel and Letters of John. Maintaining that Johannine literature is best understood against the background of the Old Testament covenant metaphor, Brown and Moloney focus on the central role of covenant in the narrative of John's Gospel and highlight the Evangelist's use of fulfillment language. Helpful sidebars, maps, questions for review, and further-reading lists are placed throughout the text, making this volume well suited for classroom use.

The voice of Francis J. Moloney has been heard in Johannine studies for many decades. This volume gathers shorter journal articles from a publishing career that began in 1975, placing them together with new studies that appear for this first time, and thus complementing Moloney's already well-known commentary and scholarly monographs on the Fourth Gospel. The author's work has encompassed all areas of Johannine scholarship - the world that produced and first received the Fourth Gospel, its theology and Christology, and critical analysis of much-discussed passages. Well known for his extensive use of narrative and reader-response criticism, Francis J. Moloney has in more recent years developed an interpretation of the gospel which suggests that the author(s) of this narrative regarded their work as the "completion" of scripture. This unique collection therefore not only provides the past publications of a significant Johannine scholar, but also reflects the development of Johannine scholarship from 1975 until today.