John for Today: Reading the Fourth Gospel

by Neil Richardson

John For Today, like the author's earlier best-selling book Paul for Today, combines fresh accessible scholarship with an exploration of the gospel's significance for the contemporary Church and wider world. The Gospel's historical origins, distinctive features and literary patterns are all helpfully illuminated, including John's similarities with and differences from the other Gospels and the much-debated question of the Gospel's real author. Recent criticisms of the Gospel, such as its exclusiveness, alleged anti-semitism and predominantly male characters and language are also examined, together with its relevance for a turbulent world in which religion has become a deeply ambivalent phenomenon. The book seeks to be faithful to the gospel of John in the central position it accords to Jesus, whilst also relating this controversial gospel to the Christian orthodoxy of later centuries.It is a book written for the non-specialist reader, and 'for such a time as this'.

152 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2010

About the author

Neil Richardson studied Philosophy in University College Dublin and works as a creative writing teacher and editor. He is also a playwright and two of his plays, Through the Dark Clouds Shining and From the Shannon to the Somme, are inspired by stories from his book on the First World War. Neil is also a member of the Reserve Defence Forces and his family have a long military tradition stretching back over 150 years. His great-grandfather’s experiences in the trenches inspired this collection of Irish veterans’ stories.