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Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent
In Light of the A Beginner’s Guide to Advent , author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary’s visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary’s Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt.
The book provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. As part of a larger four-week study that is perfect for Advent, a DVD and a comprehensive leader guide are also available.
The book provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. As part of a larger four-week study that is perfect for Advent, a DVD and a comprehensive leader guide are also available.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
245 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Amy-Jill Levine
98 books316 followersAmy-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.
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December 11, 2020
As a Jewish scholar of both the Old and New Testaments, Levine brings a sort of outsider’s perspective to the study of the Advent stories.
There are some interesting insights here. For instance, she points out that the traditional understanding of Mary giving birth in a stable because there was no room at the inn isn’t quite accurate. Kenneth Bailey explains this misconception more clearly in “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes.” In this era, many homes had a lower level that contained a living area alongside a shelter for animals. A separate guest room would be located upstairs. The word that has been translated as “inn” actually refers to this guest room, which was likely occupied by other relatives (since Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem), so Mary and Joseph stayed downstairs in the room open to the animal shelter, and used a manger, or feed trough, as a crib.
Here’s another passage I found interesting. Regarding the women mentioned in Jesus’ family tree, “all four women in the genealogy are involved in unexpected sexual relationships. Therefore, they anticipate Joseph’s learning that his betrothed is pregnant. Matthew warns readers: do not move to snap judgments when you hear stories of adultery or prostitution; you do not know the details. All these women are “righteous“ (a key term for Matthew).”
There are some interesting insights here. For instance, she points out that the traditional understanding of Mary giving birth in a stable because there was no room at the inn isn’t quite accurate. Kenneth Bailey explains this misconception more clearly in “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes.” In this era, many homes had a lower level that contained a living area alongside a shelter for animals. A separate guest room would be located upstairs. The word that has been translated as “inn” actually refers to this guest room, which was likely occupied by other relatives (since Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem), so Mary and Joseph stayed downstairs in the room open to the animal shelter, and used a manger, or feed trough, as a crib.
Here’s another passage I found interesting. Regarding the women mentioned in Jesus’ family tree, “all four women in the genealogy are involved in unexpected sexual relationships. Therefore, they anticipate Joseph’s learning that his betrothed is pregnant. Matthew warns readers: do not move to snap judgments when you hear stories of adultery or prostitution; you do not know the details. All these women are “righteous“ (a key term for Matthew).”
January 7, 2025
Absolutely fantastic. My favorite New Testament scholar.
December 11, 2020
I had planned a few months ago to read Amy-Jill Levine’s “The Misunderstood Jew” during Advent this year. It’s a book that places Jesus more firmly in his Jewish context, written by a pre-eminent religious studies scholar who herself identifies as Jewish. However, last month, I stumbled upon this book Levine specifically wrote for Advent. Levine is a Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt. I actually stopped by their divinity school just to catch a glimpse of it when I was in Nashville. It’s a beautiful campus. Anyway, Levine attends an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue, yet her views seem very far from orthodox (small-o). For one, she’s really into the so-called ‘New Testament’ – she certainly has a far better grasp of it than I do, even if I identify as a Christian. But I mean, she specializes in it as an academic scholar, so obviously she has a very good grasp of it. Secondly, she reads a lot of the texts with a fairly progressive lens, and is unabashedly a feminist hermeneutician. It was such a treat to see her expand on the original Greek of the Gospel texts, and the Hebrew of the passages quoted from the Tanakh. One really neat example:
“…Christmas reminds me of Hanukkah, another winter festival (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication,” and it is mentioned in the Gospel of John, where Jesus visits the Temple: “The time came for the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter” (John 10:22).”
I’m not sure how many times I’ve read John’s gospel and I have never known (FOR DECADES), that Hanukkah is mentioned in it. I’ve been really fascinated by the Maccabean Revolt lately and how it has coloured the apocalyptic literature of Daniel. Daniel is of enormous interest to me, because it’s the primary text on which Thomas Muntzer is commentating on in his seminal “Sermon to the Princes”. Muntzer’s sermon is a radical revolutionary text that preceded the great German Peasant Uprising that ultimately got Muntzer executed.
A similar revolutionary fervour is expounded on quite a bit in this text, which is found in Mary’s Magnificat, praising God for pulling down rulers from their thrones, filling the poor with good things and sending the rich away empty. It was neat to read the parallels between the Magnificat and Hannah’s song. One of the most fascinating things I learned in this text was about Judas of Galilee who led a radical tax revolt against the Roman imperial census:
“In the year 6 CE, after the death of Herod the Great and when Jesus would have been a child, Rome proclaimed a local census. At this time, a Galilean known as “Judas the Galilean” (here, as with all the Marys, we have a combined problem of lack of last names coupled with too many people named Judas) began a revolt. We know that Luke knows about Judas because Judas appears in Gamaliel’s speech in Acts 5:37: ‘At the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got some people to follow him in a revolt. He was killed too, and all his followers scattered far and wide.’”
I went to go revisit that chapter in Acts, and found it amazing that Gamaliel compared Paul and his rabble-rousing comrades to this revolutionary leader who is often identified as the founder of the movement of Zealots and/or Sicarii. There’s a bit more in this that I want to explore because Paul was actually said to be a student of Gamaliel elsewhere in Acts. Gamaliel makes a pretty interesting comment on Paul’s revolutionary agitating, asserting that it was still an open question whether this movement was of divine or human origin, suggesting for people not to hurt Paul in case he is an agent of God. This raises the fascinating distinction Guy Debord made in reference to millenarianism:
“millenarianism, revolutionary class struggle speaking the language of religion for the last time, was already a modern revolutionary tendency, a tendency that lacked only the consciousness that it was a purely historical movement. The millenarians were doomed to defeat because they were unable to recognize their revolution as their own undertaking. The fact that they hesitated to act until they had received some external sign of God’s will was an ideological corollary to the insurgent peasants’ practice of following leaders from outside their own ranks.”
There’s some stuff I still need to unpack here in a future Advent reflection, which is a fascinating question regarding the distinction between human and divine agency in relation to eschatology. I’m especially reminded of that part in Handel’s Messiah where Isaiah 40 is so beautifully sung: "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Levine actually discusses these verses from Isaiah, saying that they are about returning home from exile, and Luke quotes them citing Jesus as this new way (early Christians were called people of ‘the way’). I personally read this text as a proclamation against Empire, a new exodus from the Babylonian Empire, and how Jews have such a promised future ahead of them with respect to Roman imperial oppression because a Messiah has arrived. It didn’t quite work out that way, but one certainly gets that feeling of what Walter Benjamin calls messianic time: with Egypt, Babylon, and Rome stacking up together to become one monolithic symbol of hegemony.
Moving on, one example of Levine explaining some of the original Hebrew that I particularly liked was in a passage on the Herodian Massacre of the Innocents detailed in the gospels. So, it is well known that the Herodian Massacre is an allusion to Pharaoh’s massacre of infants. Moses is placed by his mother in a little basket and floated down the Nile as a last ditch effort to be protected. Turns out the Hebrew word for that basket is the same word used for Noah’s ark. Why have I never heard this before? My mind is always leaping towards contemporary interpretations, so I can’t help but think about the many people, children especially, who will lose their lives from the multitudinous impacts of climate change, and how the Pharaonic and Herodian massacres parallel this future calamity. Beyond that I also think of a school bus of children being murdered by a Saudi drone strike in a war in which they had explicit support from the Obama administration and were supplied by American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. So too are these acts cold, brutal, and reminiscent of this Advent horror story and the Exodus narrative it draws upon.
One last example that I loved was Levine’s elaboration on the etymology of the name Elizabeth:
“Elizabeth’s name likely derives from the Hebrew Eli, meaning “my God,” the beginning of Jesus’ cry from the cross (“My God, my God”). The second part comes from sheva, which is an oath. Thus, her name indicates that God keeps promises. That means that God remembers. An earlier Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, the first Israelite priest (Exodus 6:23).”
This is such an important name for Advent. Levine emphasizes that it is Elizabeth to whom Mary sang the Magnificat. How fascinating that Elizabeth’s name is a testament to faith. For all the promises of God, in him, are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ (as the Corinthian epistle goes).
Anyway, this was fantastic Advent reading, and it was a much-needed Jewish perspective on this special spiritual season for me as a Christian – not to mention coming from someone as erudite and knowledgeable as Amy-Jill Levine. It was a treat to read.
“…Christmas reminds me of Hanukkah, another winter festival (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication,” and it is mentioned in the Gospel of John, where Jesus visits the Temple: “The time came for the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter” (John 10:22).”
I’m not sure how many times I’ve read John’s gospel and I have never known (FOR DECADES), that Hanukkah is mentioned in it. I’ve been really fascinated by the Maccabean Revolt lately and how it has coloured the apocalyptic literature of Daniel. Daniel is of enormous interest to me, because it’s the primary text on which Thomas Muntzer is commentating on in his seminal “Sermon to the Princes”. Muntzer’s sermon is a radical revolutionary text that preceded the great German Peasant Uprising that ultimately got Muntzer executed.
A similar revolutionary fervour is expounded on quite a bit in this text, which is found in Mary’s Magnificat, praising God for pulling down rulers from their thrones, filling the poor with good things and sending the rich away empty. It was neat to read the parallels between the Magnificat and Hannah’s song. One of the most fascinating things I learned in this text was about Judas of Galilee who led a radical tax revolt against the Roman imperial census:
“In the year 6 CE, after the death of Herod the Great and when Jesus would have been a child, Rome proclaimed a local census. At this time, a Galilean known as “Judas the Galilean” (here, as with all the Marys, we have a combined problem of lack of last names coupled with too many people named Judas) began a revolt. We know that Luke knows about Judas because Judas appears in Gamaliel’s speech in Acts 5:37: ‘At the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got some people to follow him in a revolt. He was killed too, and all his followers scattered far and wide.’”
I went to go revisit that chapter in Acts, and found it amazing that Gamaliel compared Paul and his rabble-rousing comrades to this revolutionary leader who is often identified as the founder of the movement of Zealots and/or Sicarii. There’s a bit more in this that I want to explore because Paul was actually said to be a student of Gamaliel elsewhere in Acts. Gamaliel makes a pretty interesting comment on Paul’s revolutionary agitating, asserting that it was still an open question whether this movement was of divine or human origin, suggesting for people not to hurt Paul in case he is an agent of God. This raises the fascinating distinction Guy Debord made in reference to millenarianism:
“millenarianism, revolutionary class struggle speaking the language of religion for the last time, was already a modern revolutionary tendency, a tendency that lacked only the consciousness that it was a purely historical movement. The millenarians were doomed to defeat because they were unable to recognize their revolution as their own undertaking. The fact that they hesitated to act until they had received some external sign of God’s will was an ideological corollary to the insurgent peasants’ practice of following leaders from outside their own ranks.”
There’s some stuff I still need to unpack here in a future Advent reflection, which is a fascinating question regarding the distinction between human and divine agency in relation to eschatology. I’m especially reminded of that part in Handel’s Messiah where Isaiah 40 is so beautifully sung: "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Levine actually discusses these verses from Isaiah, saying that they are about returning home from exile, and Luke quotes them citing Jesus as this new way (early Christians were called people of ‘the way’). I personally read this text as a proclamation against Empire, a new exodus from the Babylonian Empire, and how Jews have such a promised future ahead of them with respect to Roman imperial oppression because a Messiah has arrived. It didn’t quite work out that way, but one certainly gets that feeling of what Walter Benjamin calls messianic time: with Egypt, Babylon, and Rome stacking up together to become one monolithic symbol of hegemony.
Moving on, one example of Levine explaining some of the original Hebrew that I particularly liked was in a passage on the Herodian Massacre of the Innocents detailed in the gospels. So, it is well known that the Herodian Massacre is an allusion to Pharaoh’s massacre of infants. Moses is placed by his mother in a little basket and floated down the Nile as a last ditch effort to be protected. Turns out the Hebrew word for that basket is the same word used for Noah’s ark. Why have I never heard this before? My mind is always leaping towards contemporary interpretations, so I can’t help but think about the many people, children especially, who will lose their lives from the multitudinous impacts of climate change, and how the Pharaonic and Herodian massacres parallel this future calamity. Beyond that I also think of a school bus of children being murdered by a Saudi drone strike in a war in which they had explicit support from the Obama administration and were supplied by American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. So too are these acts cold, brutal, and reminiscent of this Advent horror story and the Exodus narrative it draws upon.
One last example that I loved was Levine’s elaboration on the etymology of the name Elizabeth:
“Elizabeth’s name likely derives from the Hebrew Eli, meaning “my God,” the beginning of Jesus’ cry from the cross (“My God, my God”). The second part comes from sheva, which is an oath. Thus, her name indicates that God keeps promises. That means that God remembers. An earlier Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, the first Israelite priest (Exodus 6:23).”
This is such an important name for Advent. Levine emphasizes that it is Elizabeth to whom Mary sang the Magnificat. How fascinating that Elizabeth’s name is a testament to faith. For all the promises of God, in him, are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ (as the Corinthian epistle goes).
Anyway, this was fantastic Advent reading, and it was a much-needed Jewish perspective on this special spiritual season for me as a Christian – not to mention coming from someone as erudite and knowledgeable as Amy-Jill Levine. It was a treat to read.
December 22, 2021
My favorite writer about Christianity is an Orthodox Jew.
Amy-Jill Levine brings so much to every book she writes, but most of all it's her unique point of view. A Jew by faith and a New Testament scholar by profession, Levine is able to explain New Testament writings by also explaining the Hebrew Scriptures on which they are always based. It's a vital way to deeply and profoundly enhance your understanding of Christian Scripture.
When I read her books—this one included—I have repeated smack-my-hand-on-my-head a-ha! moments.
Divided into four sections, which I chose to read as one a week for each of the four weeks in Advent, each focuses on the major stories leading up to and including Christ's birth, as well as the visit from the Magi and Joseph fleeing with Mary and the infant Jesus to escape Herod's wrath. But this not a mere recounting of those age-old stories. It's a fresh, fun, and sometimes funny look that will shake you up a bit.
I just love this quote in the book: "This sense of being shaken up is Advent good news. Christmas should be more than putting up the tree and wrapping the presents. It should give birth to something that shakes up the routine, something that gets us to see the world otherwise. That shaking up is what it means to follow Jesus."
Levine not only delves into the historical context—that is, what was going on at the time politically and culturally—but also on literary connections, such as the symbolic meaning of names. It's a whole new way to look at the meaning of Advent. This book challenged me, made me think, made me wonder, and gave me wonder.
Oh, and don't let the subtitle, "A Beginner's Guide to Advent," put you off. This is a book for everyone, including your favorite priest or pastor.
I would give this book 10 stars, but they only let me give it five.
Amy-Jill Levine brings so much to every book she writes, but most of all it's her unique point of view. A Jew by faith and a New Testament scholar by profession, Levine is able to explain New Testament writings by also explaining the Hebrew Scriptures on which they are always based. It's a vital way to deeply and profoundly enhance your understanding of Christian Scripture.
When I read her books—this one included—I have repeated smack-my-hand-on-my-head a-ha! moments.
Divided into four sections, which I chose to read as one a week for each of the four weeks in Advent, each focuses on the major stories leading up to and including Christ's birth, as well as the visit from the Magi and Joseph fleeing with Mary and the infant Jesus to escape Herod's wrath. But this not a mere recounting of those age-old stories. It's a fresh, fun, and sometimes funny look that will shake you up a bit.
I just love this quote in the book: "This sense of being shaken up is Advent good news. Christmas should be more than putting up the tree and wrapping the presents. It should give birth to something that shakes up the routine, something that gets us to see the world otherwise. That shaking up is what it means to follow Jesus."
Levine not only delves into the historical context—that is, what was going on at the time politically and culturally—but also on literary connections, such as the symbolic meaning of names. It's a whole new way to look at the meaning of Advent. This book challenged me, made me think, made me wonder, and gave me wonder.
Oh, and don't let the subtitle, "A Beginner's Guide to Advent," put you off. This is a book for everyone, including your favorite priest or pastor.
I would give this book 10 stars, but they only let me give it five.
Read
December 12, 2022Ik interview AJ Levine in ‘De Nieuwe Koers’ van december 2022!
December 27, 2020
A really unique perspective on the Advent stories from both Matthew and Luke. The author is Jewish. Read this as part of a multi-week study, with author videos as well.
December 11, 2023
Listened on Audible (Included). DNF
I like this author. I think she has a fresh perspective and does her research. However, this book material just didn’t seem cohesive to me. Just when there was material introduced that seemed significant and I began to think she’d go deeper or make a point, no—she just jumped onto a different subject path. If I had been reading, I think I could’ve handled that, but it was rather difficult to follow while listening. Perhaps when my mind isn’t so scattered with personal issues or if I get a copy I can read, I’ll try this one again. Until then, I’ve shelved this one for later.
I like this author. I think she has a fresh perspective and does her research. However, this book material just didn’t seem cohesive to me. Just when there was material introduced that seemed significant and I began to think she’d go deeper or make a point, no—she just jumped onto a different subject path. If I had been reading, I think I could’ve handled that, but it was rather difficult to follow while listening. Perhaps when my mind isn’t so scattered with personal issues or if I get a copy I can read, I’ll try this one again. Until then, I’ve shelved this one for later.
Read
December 23, 2022For an academic but accessible overview and celebration of the Christmas narrative in the Gospels -- would recommend!
February 16, 2020
Okay. This is a very interesting book that I really enjoyed reading. The author covered many topics and ideals that I remember being covered in my new testament class during my seminary training. What makes this book even more interesting is that it's author isn't Christian; she comes from a Jewish background and you would hardly know it. She seems to have a deep respect for the New Testament and considers it part of Jewish history. If anyone wants a deeper understanding of Advent and the symbols related to the events in the story of Jesus birth, this is a great book to read.
December 22, 2020
It is short, readable and challenging. At first I was a bit dismayed that she would use the Christmas readings to lead us through the season of Advent waiting. It worked. She took the birth narratives apart and put them back together on the foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures. This was truly a gift.
She knows and loves the scriptures that she explores. Her humorously gentle use of the scriptures deepened my appreciation of the texts and the authors.
She knows and loves the scriptures that she explores. Her humorously gentle use of the scriptures deepened my appreciation of the texts and the authors.
December 23, 2019
I used this book to teach a 4 week series on Advent. Videos are available that are very well done and streaming is inexpensive through Cokesbury. Levine is brilliant as both a scholar and a teacher to people of all levels of engagement with the Bible. Highly recommend as a study and teaching resource.
December 19, 2019
Amy-Jill Levine is absolutely fascinating to read & to listen to. My Sunday School class read this book & have been watching her corresponding lectures for Advent. Outside of the Advent weeks, we have been watching her lectures on the Old Testament in the Great Courses series. She is a Jewish scholar who teaches both the Old & New Testament, and does so with passion & humor. She is extremely knowledgeable about the original languages of the Bible & brings up ideas & interesting facts that we have never even considered while reading these passages all of our lives. For example, we Christians learned as children that the story of Jesus’ birth includes that he was born in a stable because there was no room in the inn. But when you examine the original language, that’s not exactly accurate. According to the original accounts, Joseph & Mary had to go up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city in Bethlehem, in Judaea to be enrolled in the tax lists, according to a declaration by Caesar Augustus (because Joseph belonged to David’s house & family line). They stayed with people there, but there was no room in the GUEST ROOM, not inn. While there, it came time for Mary to have her baby. In those days, animals stayed in peoples’ homes, and the friends they stayed with had animals & a manger (a kind of trough from which the animals ate) in the house. The significance of the guest room being mentioned is that they had to stay in the area of the house where the animals were kept & it is assumed that the guest room would have provided privacy for the birth, whereas the area where the animals were did not. So the issue wasn’t people turning them away, but that Mary had no private area in which to give birth, & after having the baby, she wrapped him snuggly & laid him in the manger, which was the only available bed for the baby. Interesting, right? While the KJV of the Bible has beautiful prose, I love learning more through the study of the more accurate translations, & Ms. Levine makes it captivating IMHO.
August 4, 2023
1. As she does so effectively in her co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Levine helps us place these almost too-familiar Advent narratives in their historical, cultural, and scriptural contexts. She has the credibility (as a Jewish scholar of Jewish Studies) to authentically help recreate for her mostly Christian readers a 1st Century CE Jewish worldview that is textured, (presumably) accurate, and free from an obscuring Christian bias.
2. The content is rich and, while informed by scholarship, accessible to the non-specialist lay reader. Dipping into several passages across the book, I found myself eagerly encountering new information. For parishioners who may feel they're already well acquainted with these infancy narratives, they will be rewarded with fresh ideas.
3. The tone and perhaps even the author's overall objective is academic and not devotional--illuminating without attempting to inspire. Likely, the style and neutrality reflect the author's career captivating the minds and imaginations of college students, while avoiding overt appeals to emotion or attempting to evoke any religious fervor. This is a comfortable place for me, but it must be acknowledged that parishioners who are looking for a devotional work, that offers a Christian witness and attempts to bolster faith and fervor, will not find the book meets that need. This does not suggest that a church book group could not explore implications for discipleship, faith formation, etc., but this would be incumbent on the facilitator, with little help from the book.
2. The content is rich and, while informed by scholarship, accessible to the non-specialist lay reader. Dipping into several passages across the book, I found myself eagerly encountering new information. For parishioners who may feel they're already well acquainted with these infancy narratives, they will be rewarded with fresh ideas.
3. The tone and perhaps even the author's overall objective is academic and not devotional--illuminating without attempting to inspire. Likely, the style and neutrality reflect the author's career captivating the minds and imaginations of college students, while avoiding overt appeals to emotion or attempting to evoke any religious fervor. This is a comfortable place for me, but it must be acknowledged that parishioners who are looking for a devotional work, that offers a Christian witness and attempts to bolster faith and fervor, will not find the book meets that need. This does not suggest that a church book group could not explore implications for discipleship, faith formation, etc., but this would be incumbent on the facilitator, with little help from the book.
December 7, 2021
Biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine invites readers to look at some of the historical details and original language nuances of the Christmas passages in the Gospels to better appreciate some of the things that are easily missed by a cursory English language reading.
The author is upfront at the beginning stating that she is a Biblical scholar, of a Jewish heritage, but is not herself a Christ follower. Which I found a little surprising. She said her goal was to help those that do follow Christ have a deeper understanding of the richness of these passages and how that should impact Christian celebrations of Christmas. I found her historical and linguistic insights did help me gain a better appreciation for the depth and richness of many of the passages she goes over, and I'm glad I had a deeper look at these passages moving into the advent season. The author's personal lack of belief didn't frequently impact her relaying of the biblical literature, tradition, and history, though it does sometime show (it especially impacts how she interprets some parts of passages that talk about salvation...she gets some aspects of those but misses the full depths). Overall, though, I do recommend this for Christians going into the advent season who are looking to go a little deeper into the texts.
The author is upfront at the beginning stating that she is a Biblical scholar, of a Jewish heritage, but is not herself a Christ follower. Which I found a little surprising. She said her goal was to help those that do follow Christ have a deeper understanding of the richness of these passages and how that should impact Christian celebrations of Christmas. I found her historical and linguistic insights did help me gain a better appreciation for the depth and richness of many of the passages she goes over, and I'm glad I had a deeper look at these passages moving into the advent season. The author's personal lack of belief didn't frequently impact her relaying of the biblical literature, tradition, and history, though it does sometime show (it especially impacts how she interprets some parts of passages that talk about salvation...she gets some aspects of those but misses the full depths). Overall, though, I do recommend this for Christians going into the advent season who are looking to go a little deeper into the texts.
December 19, 2021
After hearing Amy-Jill Levine speak last fall I've started picking up her books to read (she was wonderful), and this one seemed perfect for the season, it being Advent and all. First off, I should say that "Beginner's Guide" is a bit of a misnomer. This book is all the better if you come to it with a good prior knowledge of the scriptures being discussed. That's not to say I don't recommend it to newcomers - not at all!
She pulls together the scriptures read during Advent season and writes about them through the eyes of a Jewish scholar who teaches New Testament (since that is who she is), and here is where someone who has marched through Advent for years might become a beginner. Here is where the scriptures become new again and bring delight. Remember who these were written for. Not 21st century Christians.
I loved it and recommend it highly - and once again remind Bible readers: we cannot take these things literally. It's so much more beautiful if we remember where the writings come from and why they were written.
She pulls together the scriptures read during Advent season and writes about them through the eyes of a Jewish scholar who teaches New Testament (since that is who she is), and here is where someone who has marched through Advent for years might become a beginner. Here is where the scriptures become new again and bring delight. Remember who these were written for. Not 21st century Christians.
I loved it and recommend it highly - and once again remind Bible readers: we cannot take these things literally. It's so much more beautiful if we remember where the writings come from and why they were written.
December 18, 2019
Amy-Jill Levine, while Jewish, is a noted New Testament scholar and brings to the task a both a feminist and a particularly Jewish consciousness. I heard her speak a few years ago and although I have forgotten her topic, I do recall being favorably impressed.
This work is an excellent guide to the Advent stories in the New Testament. Levine points out how both Luke and Matthew stress Jesus' Jewishness and overtly connect him with the Old Testament prophecies that foretold his coming. Since she is fluent in Hebrew and Greek, she is able point out the limitations of the English translations and give us a fuller understanding of what the Gospel-writers were saying and especially what the stories meant to their original audience.
The fact that she is a non-Christian in no way detracts from her obvious love of her subject matter nor the strength of her insights.
This work is an excellent guide to the Advent stories in the New Testament. Levine points out how both Luke and Matthew stress Jesus' Jewishness and overtly connect him with the Old Testament prophecies that foretold his coming. Since she is fluent in Hebrew and Greek, she is able point out the limitations of the English translations and give us a fuller understanding of what the Gospel-writers were saying and especially what the stories meant to their original audience.
The fact that she is a non-Christian in no way detracts from her obvious love of her subject matter nor the strength of her insights.
December 19, 2023
Prof. Levine continues to give Christians (and anyone else) a deeper look into the Christmas story. With her knowledge of the Jewish texts and history, she makes connections that most Christians don't see.
I have read several of her short books about Jesus and the Christian holy seasons. I always take away good things and a more expanded view point. For instance, in this book, she makes connections between the quotes by both Matthew and Luke of the earlier prophetic writings to make points that Christians usually miss. She also gently corrects the Christian view of Jewish customs.
The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating was the last part of chapter 3 was too long. Reading this as Christmas draws near was good for my soul.
I have read several of her short books about Jesus and the Christian holy seasons. I always take away good things and a more expanded view point. For instance, in this book, she makes connections between the quotes by both Matthew and Luke of the earlier prophetic writings to make points that Christians usually miss. She also gently corrects the Christian view of Jewish customs.
The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating was the last part of chapter 3 was too long. Reading this as Christmas draws near was good for my soul.
September 25, 2019
“Light” is going to be the theme for my church’s Advent series this year (which I am helping to plan), so I was a little disappointed that a book titled Light of the World didn’t really treat that theme at all. It is, however, a nice guide to the Christmas story, based largely on the Gospel of Luke. I don’t agree with Amy-Jill Levine on every point, but I find her writing engaging, humorous, and intelligent. Her perspective as a Jewish scholar of the New Testament is refreshing and at times surprising, as when she highlights (see what I did there?) passages that could be (mis)interpreted as anti-Semitic.
August 24, 2020
This book anchors an Advent program which includes leader's guide and DVD that I facilitated for a church group. Because life becomes hectic after Thanksgiving, I offered the program in November to conclude prior to the first Sunday of Advent. Participants kept contacting me throughout December to say how much this book and our discussions enhanced and enriched their Advent journey.
The author looks at the Christmas narrative and associated scriptures from the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary's visitation and Magnificat, the journey to and birth at Bethlehem, and the visit of the Magi. As a well known biblical scholar, Amy Jill Levine does a most wonderful job of connecting the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, discussing the role of women in first century Jewish culture, and the implications versus the historical realities of the census, the stable, the star, and the flight into Egypt.
This book and program provides a rich learning experience for small groups. My group had a fabulous experience. My highest recommendations to Professor Levine's educational books and programs.
The author looks at the Christmas narrative and associated scriptures from the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary's visitation and Magnificat, the journey to and birth at Bethlehem, and the visit of the Magi. As a well known biblical scholar, Amy Jill Levine does a most wonderful job of connecting the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, discussing the role of women in first century Jewish culture, and the implications versus the historical realities of the census, the stable, the star, and the flight into Egypt.
This book and program provides a rich learning experience for small groups. My group had a fabulous experience. My highest recommendations to Professor Levine's educational books and programs.
January 1, 2025
Valuable Insights
Amy-Jill Levine, as always, provides valuable insights by sharing a deeply faithful Jewish perception of the New Testament. It is a perception that I believe expresses an understanding of how the hearers and writers of the story of Jesus would have experienced 2000 years ago rather than those looking backward retrospectively 200 to 400 years later would begin to lose that has led to distorted and incorrect understandings which have frequently resulted in misapplication of the Bible.
Amy-Jill Levine, as always, provides valuable insights by sharing a deeply faithful Jewish perception of the New Testament. It is a perception that I believe expresses an understanding of how the hearers and writers of the story of Jesus would have experienced 2000 years ago rather than those looking backward retrospectively 200 to 400 years later would begin to lose that has led to distorted and incorrect understandings which have frequently resulted in misapplication of the Bible.
February 24, 2025
As a Christian believer, I found this book interesting, challenging, useful, and confirming. We have so much to learn from other perspectives, and God is the God of all. I did not have the DVD, but I don't think this would work as an Advent study for a group in my church. It would however work as a small group discussion of the scriptures in time and place, and cultural interpretation of scripture in the past and present. It is not a beginner's guide.
Rating based on excellent thought provoking read. Down graded a bit for being meandering. Didn't always hold my interest.
Rating based on excellent thought provoking read. Down graded a bit for being meandering. Didn't always hold my interest.
December 21, 2019
An excellent take on the story that, at least the Judeo-Christian, if not the whole world knows, but may not fully understand! It scrapes away some of the literary license taken by Mark and Luke and allows us to understand what all they are trying to say by embellishing the story in some ways. Not only does it expose fact and metaphor, but it does it with great care and great humor. Truly wonderful!
December 24, 2020
Provided insights I had never considered before
Don’t let the subtitle fool you. This is not an elementary school study of the Christmas stories found in Matthew and Luke. Rather, this book shows that if you have only read and heard the Christmas story that is normally given in mainline churches, you are only a beginner and this book is for you to get a deeper understanding of the meanings that Matthew and Luke are trying to convey thru their narratives.
Don’t let the subtitle fool you. This is not an elementary school study of the Christmas stories found in Matthew and Luke. Rather, this book shows that if you have only read and heard the Christmas story that is normally given in mainline churches, you are only a beginner and this book is for you to get a deeper understanding of the meanings that Matthew and Luke are trying to convey thru their narratives.
December 24, 2021
Sister Anna Camille at St. Placid Priory recommended that I read this book for advent when I asked her for a suggestion. She was reading it as well. It has inspired me to start finishing the Old Testament again. I had stopped because the violence and oppression shocked me. Although I was looking for an advent book with daily advent readings to reflect on, this was a good 4 chapter book. It gave me me lots to ponder on during this holy time.
December 27, 2020
Our church used Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent for a four-week, online bible study. Author Amy-Jill Levine still managed to give a fresh perspective on the Christmas story, even though we had all heard it many, many times. Her book, along with the accompanying DVD clips, prompted engaging and lively discussion in our group.
December 27, 2020
Advent 2020 read with my small group.
The historical perspective from both what was happening in the Roman Empire around the time of Jesus' birth and the Jewish (Old Testament) writings added a new dimension to my understanding of the Gospel narratives. Also, Levine's writing is clear and to-the-point, and surprisingly entertaining considering the content.
The historical perspective from both what was happening in the Roman Empire around the time of Jesus' birth and the Jewish (Old Testament) writings added a new dimension to my understanding of the Gospel narratives. Also, Levine's writing is clear and to-the-point, and surprisingly entertaining considering the content.
December 27, 2020
This book is an in-depth look at the Christmas Story, mostly of the Book of Luke, from the New Testament. It was the book for our Advent Bible Study this month. Incredible insight. Written by Amy-Jill Levine, a University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies (taken from her bio on thie website), this presents information and background I hadn't known about. Loved this!
December 25, 2021
Except for a few times of making history too nice or almost over explaining some ideas or interjecting personal information that I didn't mind but did not feel it was necessary, this was a very good book of details we do not usually gather when reading the birth stories of Jesus. She mainly analyzed the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke. Well organized and easily to follow and understand.
December 16, 2022
Read for a church advent study. Very scholarly in content. I found it interesting but was at times frustrated by the lack of explanation on historical connections at times. I felt I needed to Google subjects often for a clear understanding. I would rather have had the history/explanation there for me to read.
December 19, 2022
Amy-Jill Levine provides an in-depth but very readable book about the stories of Advent found in the scriptures. As a Jewish woman, and a scholar, she examines stories of Mary, Joseph, the angels, genealogies and many others and presents fresh insights that caused me to pause and think throughout the book. I’d highly recommend this book.
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