Reading John
for Dear Life

Author Jaime Clark-Soles
Publisher WJK £7.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780664238476  2016

This book presents a fresh and invigorating exploration of John’s Gospel and the approach taken is indicated by the sub-title: A Spiritual Walk with the Fourth Gospel. The book has clear origins in the USA, but it nevertheless crosses the Atlantic well. It manages to combine being scholarly with also being approachable and it engages us with the characters found in this gospel. Disability studies are put to good use and the author counters the erroneous assumption that suffering is related to sin. Meaningful distinctions are made between impairment and disability, and also between curing and healing. The use of footnotes, poetry, questions for reflection and prayers all add to the enjoyment of this book, which I highly recommend as a breath of fresh air in relating scriptural text to contemporary life. Reading it could well prove to be a fruitful journey.

MICHAEL FOSTER

New Testament Analysis