Having studied John's Gospel over several years, I was glad when a recent visit to the US included an invitation to teach a freshman class on the subject. I had had surprisingly little opportunity to do so since completing the research presented in this book. My usual theme – that of John's apologetic portrait of Jesus – was, however, met by a perplexed look from one student. Raising her hand, she asked, ‘What makes you think John is being apologetic?’

It took me a few moments to realize that the ‘technical’ meaning of the term ‘apologetic’ is unfamiliar to many in our day and age. I should perhaps therefore explain that the title of this book, John's Apologetic Christology, does not use the term in its modern sense, as if John were ‘apologizing’ for his beliefs concerning Jesus. Rather, the argument of the present work is that John's defence (the other meaning of ‘apologetic’) of certain christological beliefs led to their development and the unique configuration of christological motifs known as Johannine Christology. It would be a pity indeed if a merely verbal confusion were to obscure this book's main theme from the outset!

The book is a revised version of my 1998 University of Durham Ph.D. dissertation. While a Ph.D. thesis is by definition the work of a single individual, I doubt whether any student has ever successfully completed such a course of study without the support of many people, the endless list of ‘without whoms’.