For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture How to Read the Gospel of John / David Ford
The Gospel of John is a gospel of superabundance. The cosmic Christ made incarnate would of course yield an absolute superabundance of grace, love, and unity.
What makes John’s Gospel so distinct from the Synoptics? Why does it continue to draw readers into inexhaustible depths of meaning? In this conversation, theologian David Ford reflects on his two-decade journey writing a commentary on John. Together with Drew Collins, he explores John’s unique blend of theology, history, and literary artistry, describing it as a “gospel of superabundance” that continually invites readers to trust, to reread, and to enter into deeper life with Christ. Together they explore themes of individuality and community; friendship and love; truth, reconciliation, and unity; the tandem vision of Jesus as both cosmic and intimate; Jesus’s climactic prayer for unity in chapter 17. And ultimately the astonishing superabundance available in the person of Christ. Along the way, Ford reflects on his interfaith reading practices, his theological friendships, and the vital role of truth and love for Christian witness today.
“There’s always more in John’s gospel … these big images of light and life in all its abundance.”
Episode Highlights
- “It is a gospel for beginners. But also it’s endlessly rich, endlessly deep.”
- “There’s always more in John’s gospel and he has these big images of light and, life in all its abundance.”
- “It all culminates in love. Father, I desire that those also you, whom you have given me, may be with me.”
- “On the cross, evil, suffering, sin, death happened to Jesus. But Jesus happens to evil, suffering, sin, death.”
- “We have to go deeper into God and Jesus, deeper into community, and deeper into the world.”
Show Notes
- David Ford on writing a commentary on John over two decades
- John’s Gospel compared to the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke)
- John as theological history writing (Rudolf Schnackenburg)
- John’s purpose statement in chapter 20: written so that you may trust
- “A gospel for beginners” with simple language and cosmic depth
- John as a gospel of superabundance: light, life, Spirit without measure
- John’s focus on individuals: Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, man born blind, Martha, Mary, Lazarus
- The Beloved Disciple and John’s communal authorship
- Friendship, love, and unity in the Farewell Discourses (John 13–17)
- John 17 as the most profound chapter in Scripture
- The crisis of rewriting: scrapping 15 years of writing to begin anew
- Scriptural reasoning with Jews, Muslims, and Christians on John’s Gospel
- Wrestling with John 8 and the polemics against “the Jews”
- Reconciliation across divisions
- John’s vision of discipleship: learning, loving, praying, and living truth
Helpful Links and Resources
- David Ford, The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary
- Rudolf Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. John
About David Ford
David F. Ford is Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus at the University of Cambridge. He has written extensively on Christian theology, interfaith engagement, and scriptural reasoning. His most recent work is The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (Baker Academic, 2021). Ford is co-founder of the Cambridge Interfaith Programme and the Rose Castle Foundation.
Production Notes
- This podcast featured David Ford
- Interview by Drew Collins
- Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa
- Hosted by Evan Rosa
- Production Assistance by Macie Bridge, Alexa Rollow, and Emily Brookfield
- A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about
- Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give
- This episode was made possible in part by the generous support of the Tyndale House Foundation. For more information visit Tyndale.foundation.