The Gospel According to John: A Literary and Theological Commentary

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Mid-Level Commentary
Review: Brodie's work is an undervalued gem in the trinket-heavy pawn shop of Johannine studies. With most critical commentaries, you either sacrifice ingenuity or orthodoxy; Brodie's work survives with both intact. Not that I agree with all of his conclusions -- but where we differ I can still respect and appreciate his positions. I learned to rely heavily on his commentary in my own current research. Recommended for those who want a more critical introduction to the FG and something beyond the typical (e.g., Brown, Schnack, Carson, and Bultmann).

Rating:
Summary: The heavy use of symbolism undermines his study of the text.
Review: The strongest point of Brodie's commentary is his literary approach which has greatly helped him to organize his work. However, after admitting in his introduction that the theological method of study tended to lend itself to the use of arbitrary symbolism, Mr. Brodie does not seem to make any attempt to curb his use of symbolism as he treats the text of the Gospel of John. This results in his reading into the text elements which are not present instead of trying to dig into the real meaning of the text.