Drinking the Blood of Jesus. A theological rationale from the Jewish blood prohibitions

“This is an incredibly well-written, tightly organized and engaging presentation of a topic which at first glance might seem unduly esoteric to all but a handful of specialists in the field… Van Noppen shows clear mastery of his topic and his research will be invaluable not only to experts in the field but to a more general theological audience who will find this treatment of the Bread of Life Discourse illuminating, while opening up new vistas in Jon’s presentation of the soteriological aspects of the Eucharist.”
-Dr. James T. Bretzke, S.J.
Professor of Moral Theology,
Boston College

“Christian readers of John’s Gospel may be so used to talk of drinking Christ’s blood that the shock of this idea to an historical Jewish audience barely registers. Van Noppen clearly exposes the shock and carefully explains its origins as well as its historical occasion in a widely upheld prohibition. Theologically he explains the relationship between blood, life, sacrifice, animal, ingestion and Jesus.”
-Dr. Peter Carrell,
Director of Education,
Diocese of Christchurch & Director of Theology House,
Archdeacon of South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury

Author’s Preface/ Foreword/Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION: BULTMANN AND “DRINK MY BLOOD
Purpose
Method
CHAPTER 1: HISTORICAL SURVEY 1.1. Approach to Historical Survey
1.2. Patristic and Medieval Commentators
1.2.1. Interpretive Context
1.2.2. John Chrysostom
1.2.3. Augustine
1.2.4. Thomas Aquinas
1.2.5. Summary
1.3. Protestant Reformation Commentators
1.3.1 Interpretive Context
1.3.2 Martin Luther
1.3.3 John Calvin
1.3.4 Summary
1.4. Modern Commentators
1.4.1 Interpretive Context
1.4.2 Charles Harold Dodd
1.4.3 Rudolf Bultmann
1.4.4 Peder Borgen
1.4.5 Summary
1.5. Recent Commentators
1.5.1 Introduction: Two Lines of Enquiry
1.5.2 “Drink My Blood” as problematic
Unanimous Silence on a Legitimacy Problem
Unanimous Agreement on a Semantic Problem
1.5.3 “Drink My Blood”: A Rationale for Faith
“Belief is Ingestion” – Unanimous Agreement
“Believe is Ingestion” – Divided Readings
1.5.4 Culpepper’s Narrative Commentary
1.5.5 The Reader in the Text of John
1.5.6 Summary
1.6. Conclusions to History of Interpretation
CHAPTER 2: EXEGESIS OF JOHN 6:51C-58
2.1 Introduction
2.2 John 6:51c-58 Wider Context
2.3 John 6:51c-58 Closer Context: The Bread of Life Discourse
2.4 John 6:51c-58 Immediate Context
2.4.1 vv.22-25 Transition: The Eager Crowd Finds Jesus
2.4.2 vv. 26-27 Jesus Seizes the Initiative
2.4.3 vv.28-31 The Crowd Responds: Self-Vindication
2.4.4 vv.32-33 A Correction of Mosaic Premises
2.4.5 vv.34-40 The Request, and Jesus’ Self-Disclosure
2.4.6 vv.41-50 ?????????, and Jesus’ Response To It
2.5 John 6:51c-58 Exegesis
2.5.1 Verse 51
2.5.2 Verse 52
2.5.3 Verse 53
2.5.4 Verses 54-55
2.5.5 Verse 56
2.5.6 Verse 57
2.5.7 Verse 58
Excursus: The Unity of vv.51c-58 with the Rest of Chapter 6
2.6 John 6:51c-58: Immediate Context (continued)
2.6.1 vv.59-71 Differing Reactions
2.6.2 vv.60-66 Those Who “stumble”
2.6.3 vv.67-71 Those Who Remain
2.7 Summary
2.8 Conclusion to Exegesis of John 6:51c-58
CHAPTER 3: THE CONSUMPTION OF BLOOD – AN HYPOTHESIS
3.1 Introduction
3.2 “Jesus history” or “John’s Story of Jesus”?
3.3 John’s Jewish Frame
3.3.1 vv.51C-58 and Their Explicit Jewish narrative Frame
3.3.2 The Implied Reader as a Recorder of “Jewish History”
3.3.3 vv.51c-58 and Their Implicit Jewish Frame
3.4 Summary
3.5 vv. 51c-58 and the “De-Historicization” of John
3.6 vv.51c-58 and the “de-Johannification” of Jesus
3.7 Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: THE CONSUMPTION OF BLOOD – A THEOLOGY
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Torah Prohibitions: Gen 9:4
AND MUCH MORE THAN THIS SPACE CAN ACCOMMODATE OR LIST