The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary [Paperback]

Raymond E. Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 129 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Press; 4th Rev edition (September 5, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814612830
• ISBN-13: 978-0814612835
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Raymond E. Brown, S.S., taught for many years at Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore and was Professor of Biblical Studies at the Union Theological Seminary for two decades. He was the author of three books in the Anchor Bible series on the Gospels and Epistles of John and wrote the classic Anchor Bible Reference Library volumes The Birth of the Messiah, The Death of the Messiah, and An Introduction to the New Testament. He died in 1998.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book., February 20, 2004

By 

Nicholas Dujmovic (Vienna, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary (Paperback)

This concise commentary on the Gospel and epistles of John, at less than 130 pages, packs in an immense amount of Father Brown's unparalleled scholarship while retaining his typically fresh and readable style. If Fr. Brown's work is the perfect way for Christians to delve deep into Catholic and Orthodox biblical studies, this book is the perfect introduction to his work. If you've read one of his massive tomes (which themselves are highly recommended, but be prepared for an intellectual commitment), this one may seem a bit thin, but even so it will be worthwhile.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Probing Examination of the New Testament John Tradition, December 10, 2007

By 

Alexander Lundy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary (Paperback)

A clear and concise exploration of the New Testament Traditon of John in the exegetical method through exploration of themes and overarching messages of the Jesus tradition as portrayed in John. Primarily using accurate historical consideration (ie. geographic, class, and other differences of the time)to explain the written and translated text in an understandable way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Dubious Disciple Book Review, January 30, 2011

By 

Dubious Disciple "Lee Harmon" (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary (Paperback)

This book is now 23 years old, but it is one that every Bible scholar must read. Raymond Brown is considered by many to be the premier Johannine scholar of the 20th century, and is widely acknowledged by both the Church and by academia. Brown began writing about John and the Johannine community in 1960, culminating a quarter-century later in an exhaustive, 800-page tome on the epistles in 1982. This book brings it all together in one concise commentary. If you fancy yourself a Bible scholar but you don't have time to study all of Brown's works, you must at least read this short book.

You'll find in this book no comprehensive discussion of the Johannine community, of the development and authorship of the Gospel, or even of Johannine theology in general. You'll find very little about Brown's contributions to understanding Johannine eschatology or to the identification of the "beloved disciple." What you will get is a concise verse-by-verse commentary of the Gospel and epistles, which in itself provides a taste of Brown's thinking.

Scripture from the Revised New Testament is printed on the top of each page, with Brown's commentary on the bottom half. Because it's a summary only, providing nothing new or provocative, I have a hard time granting it more than three stars, yet it is a must-read.