The Commentary Has Arrived!

My hoped for transit time for the Commentary proved to be actuality. It arrived in this morning's mail delivery. The inside back cover contains a blurb informing us that these commentaries are published in the U.S. as the Daily Bible Commentary by Hendrickson Publishers. I did some checking around, and you can get it from Christianbook.com for $6.99 (almost half price!) here. Amazon.com and a couple of other places are out of stock--there must be a run on the Commentary on John for some reason. While I'm happy to have the "2008 Lambeth Conference Edition," quite frankly, I'd probably have been just as happy not to shell out $40 for the book and airmail delivery from Britain.

During the train ride home this evening I quickly read through the Preface, Introduction, and the chapters on the portion of John we've read so far. As I suspected, the Reading Plan follows the chapters of the Commentary. Each chapter is laid out so that it is on two facing pages, and each ends with a brief prayer. There is a great deal of food for thought in these pages--too much to go back and catch up on, if I want to keep up with the Reading Plan. At some point I may go back and delve more deeply into those sections.

The introduction puts John's Gospel in context in terms of history, culture, community, language, and in comparison with the other Gospels. At the end you will find a one page Glossary, a short annotated bibliography "For Further Reading," the Reading Plan, and a one page blurb on the bible studies being developed for the 2008 Lambeth Conference itself. There is also a preface by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams at the beginning of this edition. I have a few things to say about it, but I'd rather you read it for yourself before I let loose.

In a sermon I preached several years ago I said that John's Gospel was my least favorite. Since then, as I've studied it more and also become more aware of the mystic elements of my own faith, I have been coming to appreciate John more and more. What I've read of Burridge's commentary so far makes me feel that this appreciation will grow over the next months.

Peace,
Jeffri