In the beginning

The opening of John’s gospel is one of the most magnificent pieces of religious literature ever written. Not surprisingly, it has inspired vast amounts of analysis and interpretation. And yet, we are not even sure quite what it is: is it an introduction, a hymn or a poem? Arguments rage over whether it extends from verse 1 to verse 14 or to verse 18, whether or not the passages about John the Baptist belong here (1:6–8, 15), and how its structure might be analysed.