The Apocalypse of John

“Francis Moloney, renowned as a specialist on the Fourth Gospel, here turns to the book of Revelation. Inspired by the work of Italian scholar Eugenio Corsini, Moloney offers a vigorous challenge to readings of Revelation as an ‘apocalyptic’ work focused on eschatological judgment. With astute sensitivity to the rhetoric of this ‘genre-bending’ text, Moloney argues that Revelation celebrates the eternal victory of the sacrificed Lamb over all powers of evil. His persuasive reading of Revelation as a work of ‘realized’ eschatology will stimulate debate but will also inspire a deeper appreciation for this complex, visionary book, particularly relevant in an ‘apocalyptic’ epoch.”—Harold W. Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity, Yale Divinity School 

“Francis Moloney offers a much-needed perspective to the interpretive conversation about the Apocalypse (the book of Revelation). Reinvigorating a long-standing mission to bring Eugenio Corsini’s voice into the global scholarly discussion, Moloney, in his customarily engaging and accessible manner, challenges readers to encounter this text as a genre-bending, apocalyptic reenvisioning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Both late first-century and early twenty-first-century churches are asked to take stock of themselves: Where do they (we) belong—in the new Jerusalem of the sacrificed Lamb, or outside, selling out to the far more immediate gratification of the status quo? It is a choice made daily, and this commentary guides us through John of Patmos’s challenging scriptural counsel.”—Sherri Brown, associate professor of New Testament, Creighton University 

“Widely acclaimed for his narrative-critical readings of the Gospels of Mark and John, Francis Moloney now applies his considerable exegetical skills to the Apocalypse. Inspired especially by the work of Eugenio Corsini, Moloney’s careful analysis of the unfolding narrative produces an interpretation which gives full weight to Revelation’s conviction that the Lamb has been slain ‘from the foundation of the world,’ with implications for Israel’s past no less than the church’s present and creation’s future. Even those readers unpersuaded by Moloney’s overall thesis will find in his commentary a rich treasure trove of narrative sensitivity, intertextual connections, and theological insight.”—Ian Boxall, The Catholic University of America 

“Francis Moloney has given us a remarkable commentary that is deeply sensitive to the literary artistry of Revelation. He reads the Apocalypse in the same way that John’s intended reader (the implied reader) approaches it: with a word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph sequential reading of the narrative. Challenging the traditional view that Revelation was written to address the suffering of the Christian community under Roman persecution, Moloney provides a compelling case for a divergent reading—one that sees the saving effects of Jesus’ death and resurrection as the key to this enigmatic book. His commentary is a breed apart, fascinating and abreast with contemporary scholarship on Revelation.”—James L. Resseguie, distinguished professor of New Testament emeritus, Winebrenner Theological Seminary