THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
A Beginner's Guide to the Good News
By Amy-Jill Levine
Unlock the hidden depths of John’s Gospel.
John’s Gospel offers readers a new language—of being born anew, of living water, of wind and spirit, of the “I am”—that enhances how we understand the divine, how we experience the world, and how we participate in the mystery of faith.
With her characteristic wit and charm, Amy-Jill Levine introduces readers to the world of the Gospel of John by unpacking the stories in their original context, along with examining how the text is read today. This book considers the Gospel of John in its entirety, moving through the Gospel and exploring the prologue, the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, the healing of the man at the pool and the man born blind, foot washing, Mary Magdalene and Doubting Thomas, and the Lamb of God.
Buy It Now
Watch this promo video and learn more about this study from AJ. Additional components include:
- Book
- Comprehensive Leader Guide
- A DVD featuring AJ
Endorsements
Amy-Jill Levine’s commentary on the Gospel of John is a scholarly book that reads like a good sermon. It is learned without being pedantic, and it reveals the author without being about her. Above all, like any good sermon, Dr. Levine’s commentary never forgets the audience. Always she asks how John’s audience would have heard his Gospel, and that forces the reader to ask how a modern audience might hear it. Not just Dr. Levine’s content but also her wonderfully conversational tone make this the ideal commentary, not only for scholars, but for lovers of good writing whether they are Christians or people like her: fascinated by followers of “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
The Very Reverend Patrick Malloy, Dean, The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine
Once again Amy-Jill Levine charts a lively and informative path through a Gospel about which I thought I already knew what I needed to know. In other words, as I read this “beginner’s guide” I realized anew how much meaning is hidden in plain sight. With wit, wisdom, and her signature clarity, Levine takes us on an adventure that highlights the intertextuality of the Bible and the role our senses play in interpreting the Gospel According to John.
Malinda Elizabeth Berry, Associate Professor of Theology & Ethics, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Amy-Jill Levine’s scholarship aims at understanding how the Gospel was understood by its earliest readers, how it has been interpreted traditionally, and, finally, how Christians today should receive it and act in its light, which is the light of Christ. Dr. Levine’s book is written clearly and sparkles with humor and her obvious delight at sharing her vast knowledge with the readers. Whether one has read dozens of books on John or this is the first, one has much to learn from the knowledge, insight, and wisdom found in Dr. Levine’s The Gospel of John.
W. Waite Willis, Jr., Edward J. Pendergrass Professor of Religion, Chair, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Florida Southern College
Amy-Jill Levine’s study of certain discreet vignettes of the Gospel of John is a welcome contribution to congregational learning. As we have come to expect Levine never falters in her ability to provide a vivid context for each of the chosen stories. Students of John’s Gospel will delight in Levine’s engaged and accessible presentation of the many complexities of Johannine thought.
The Rev. Professor P.G. Kirkpatrick, Associate Professor and 1948 Chair, Old Testament Studies, McGill University
Meet AJ.
Amy-Jill Levine (“AJ”) is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. An internationally renowned scholar and teacher, she is the author of numerous books including The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, and Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus. She is also the coeditor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. AJ is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. AJ describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist who until 2021 taught New Testament in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt.
