The Gospel of Luke

by Amy-Jill Levine, Ben Witherington III

This volume offers a comprehensive overview of one of the four New Testament gospels and brings a unique approach to the genre of Bible commentary. Featuring distinct Jewish and Christian voices in respectful conversation, Amy-Jill Levine and Ben Witherington, III methodologically break new ground in exploring why scholars disagree on questions of history (what actually happened, what is authorial invention, how do we address different versions of the same account), literature (what does this story tell us about Jesus and Peter, Mary Magdalene and Judas, among other characters), and theology (what can we say about resurrection and divine justice, or about Jesus as the Messiah). They show how Luke has been used to create both tragedy and hope, as well as to promote sexism, anti-semitism, and religious intolerance, thereby raising important questions regarding ethically responsible interpretation. This volume will be essential reading for theologians, clergy, and anyone interested in biblical studies and Jewish/Christian dialogue.

Genres: Theology

722 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2018

About the author

Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Department of Jewish Studies. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus; Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi; four children's books (with Sandy Sasso); The Gospel of Luke (with Ben Witherington III); and The Jewish Annotated New Testament (co-edited with Marc Z. Brettler). Her most recent books are The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently (co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler), Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven; and The Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Devotionals. In 2019 she became the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. Professor Levine, who has done over 300 programs for churches, clergy groups, and seminaries, has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. Institutions granting her honorary degrees include Christian Theological Seminary and the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.

Reviews

[David Szatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most fascinating commentaries I have read for a long time. The authors are ecumenical (believing ordained Lutheran and agnostic Jew) and enter into a respectful dialogue on faith, Scripture, theology, and implication of the Gospel of Luke. The reader walks away not only a rich theological dialogue and with questions to ponder, but some excellent insights into Luke's gospel and the Greek and Lucan theology that the gospel provides. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a scholarly approach to Luke, in particular those who preach or teach.

[Stan Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The set up works better than one might expect. Two writers, one clearly from a Christian background and the other from a Jewish background, get together to discuss the book of Luke. It's a good way to get a perspective on the book that most of the time you don't hear.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great commentary, love the balance it strikes between Jewish & Protestant, traditional/conservative perspectives. Will definitely reference when preaching in the future.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good commentary, uniquely born from an unusual friendship. AJ Levine is an agnostic Jewish New Testament scholar who has specialized in feminist interpretation. Ben Witherington III is an evangelical Methodist who specializes in socio-rhetorical commentaries. Their mutual respect for each other has borne very interesting fruit. It's a commentary where the author's major disagreements are noted (the writing tone at these moments sounds passive aggressive but I think it's just maintaining formality required for the series).

Levine's comments are interesting. As a Christian preacher, I was helped as she identified ways particular passages had been used anti-semitically or were subject to tired anti-Jewish tropes. Occasionally, her frustration with centuries and millennia of reception of particular texts seemed to create anger at the text. But to her credit, she acknowledges what the text says! I was pleasantly surprised to see her call "Foul!" on several accepted liberal interpretations/challenges to the text.

Witherington's voice helped identity important interpretations that don't require the anti-Jewish reception Levine laments. She doesn't always agree, but seeing their disagreement was nice.

I really appreciated the applications at the end of each chapter. They were often reflections I was not expecting and they were very contemporary.

I would say this is a moderately helpful commentary to read for Christian preaching. Other commentaries can take you where you need to go faster and offer more theology (Green, Garland, and Edwards are all excellent). But as an exercise in reading, this was beneficial.