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Review: The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus; An Evangelical Exposition of John 14-17 by D. A. Carson



Review: The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus; An Evangelical Exposition of John 14-17
D. A. Carson
Baker Books
1980

The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, repackaged edition - By: D.A. CarsonWhat am I doing reviewing a nearly 40-year-old book from DA Carson?  Baker has repackaged it and now it’s back on the shelf.  There’s no new forward or other additions to the front matter, so I assume this is the 1980 version which according to the preface was intended for the “church at large” (9).  I took that to mean persons other than the academic or the serious student.  I have to say things have changed greatly if this is an example of the reading the laity undertook all those years ago.  
This book in my opinion is still for the serious student of Scripture.  It is not the strictly academic material that Carson produced though, so for those of you who want to work a bit at reading this I think you will be rewarded for your efforts.  Carson’s reputation and other work vouch for his ability as a scholar.   The text is dense and the vocabulary well above most of the popular work I’ve viewed recently.  His arguments cover most of the opinions held related to a section of Scripture, and he will show the reader which is the superior interpretation in his opinion.  

The book has no endnotes or bibliography.  Poetry or lyrics quoted are attributed to its author, but not to a specific work.  There are no study questions or recommended readings for further study.  The preface states that the book is the product of a “series of addresses given at several conferences….and rewritten as essays.” (9)  Maybe the title could have been Essays on the Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus?

Overall, if you are interested in the topic this would be a good choice.

I received this book from the publishers in return for a review.


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