The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary

by David F. Ford

Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (Biblical Studies)

John is a Gospel of abundant truth, life, and love. David Ford, one of the world's leading Christian theologians, invites readers into a fresh, profound encounter with Jesus through the Gospel of John in this comprehensive theological commentary. This commentary will appeal to a wide audience, including pastors, church leaders, and other readers interested in the intersection of theology and spirituality. It will also be of interest to professors and students doing research on John and the reception of the Gospel in Christian theology.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, New Testament

496 pages, Hardcover

Published December 7, 2021

About the author

David Frank Ford (born 23 January 1948, Dublin) is an academic and public theologian. He has been the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge since 1991. His research interests include political theology, ecumenical theology, Christian theologians and theologies, theology and poetry, the shaping of universities and of the field of theology and religious studies within universities, hermeneutics, and inter-faith theology and relations. He is the founding director of the Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme and a co-founder of the Society for Scriptural Reasoning.

Reviews

[Allison Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great commentary on the Gospel of John!! Read for a class but will for sure be pulling it out in the future!! Approachable but not shallow!

[Douglas Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really excellent commentary that I rate amongst the best in its class. I have a lot of commentaries on the Gospel of John, some of them are scholarly, extensive and technical, others are fairly brief and pastoral. This commentary is scholarly but beautifully written - while capturing the technical details, it does not get buried in them. David Ford captures a unique balance of describing and explaining the text and yet retaining a devotional, faith-filled passion. As a Pastor myself, I will use this commentary as a reference for study and preparation (actually, I already have :) and can see that it will become a rich resource for those who minister to others. This will also be a great guide for anyone who is interested in mining the depths of John's Gospel - people who are looking for more than a brief overview but do not want to wade through heavy technical or critical arguments. Highly recommended.

[Travis Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A theological commentary, instead of an exegetical, so none of the word for word repetitious impalement, which is generally a plus if you’re reading cover to cover. In commentating on the gospel’s overall themes and taking us through John’s story, Ford never missteps, but instead offers a number of insightful points. Yet overall, in commentating on the book as a whole, there’s still too much barrenness that doesn’t add value (that doesn’t meant it detracts!)—a common symptom of the commentary genre where the bang for buck ratio seems hopelessly inverted in the wrong direction.

[James Cary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t finish this book and was rather disappointed. Clearly the author was immersed in John’s gospel and is a fine academic, but for me, the book lacked real insight or academic rigour. It was quite expensive which makes it all the more disappointing.