Article
- Author:
- Burridge, Richard
- Publisher:
- The Bible Reading Fellowship (2008)
- ISBN:
- 1841015709
- Purchase:
- Buy this book from Amazon.co.uk (commission earned)
Being content with the fragments read in church or reading the whole to gain a general impression are both unsatisfactory ways of approaching any book of the Bible but more particularly the Gospel of John which can be read at so many levels once its Old Testament grounding and theological symbolism can be fully grasped.
In his series of 107 studies, each with its own prayer or reflection, Richard Burridge enables us to access John at every level, explaining the meaning of Hebrew and Greek words and their contextual significance, relating Jesus' mission to his attendance at Festivals and providing the necessary socio-political background. He is commendably shy of general theories, explaining the literal meaning of the text as a foundation for symbolism and subsequent interpretation such that those who disagree with his comments on "high Christology" and "Sacramentality" will at least know how he arrived at his conclusions. On this basis, it is easy to understand why this book was chosen as the study guide for Bishops up to and including attendance at the Lambeth Conference.
This book is so clearly and intelligently written that it is entirely suitable for those who do not think they are capable of reading John intelligently and yet it has enough new insights to attract the experienced reader and scholar.