Witness at the Cross, AmyJill Levine
Witness at the Cross, AmyJill Levine
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Witness at the Cross
A Beginner's Guide to Holy Friday

Author: Amy-Jill Levine

Narrator: Nan McNamara

Unabridged: 6 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/21/2022

Synopsis

Experience Holy Friday from the perspective of those who watched Jesus die: Mary his mother; the Beloved Disciple from the Gospel of John; Mary Magdalene and the other women from Galilee; the two men, usually identified as thieves, crucified with Jesus; the centurion and the soldiers; Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Jews and Romans, friends and strangers, the powerful and the powerless, the hopeful and the despairing.

The story of Jesus's death is not something we just read: we think about it, and we experience it.

In Witness at the Cross, Amy-Jill Levine shows how the people at the cross each have distinct roles to play. Each Evangelist presents a distinct picture of the death of Jesus. Each portrays different individuals and groups of people at the cross, each offers different images and dialogues, and so from each, we learn how those meanings and messages cross the centuries to any who would come to the cross today.

Each Gospel has its own story to tell, all the witnesses have their own memories, and every reader comes away with a new insight. The witnesses at the Crucifixion watch Jesus die, and we watch with them, and we watch them. And we come away transformed.

About Amy-Jill Levine

Amy-Jill Levine ("AJ") is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. An internationally renowned scholar and teacher, she is the author of numerous books, including The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week, Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, and Signs and Wonders: A Beginner's Guide to the Miracles of Jesus. She is also coeditor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. AJ is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. AJ describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist who until 2021 taught New Testament in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nyla Kay on February 18, 2022

Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday is an eye-opening look at Good Friday from author Amy-Jill Levine. It is an in-depth look at the cross from several people that were there. I found it enlightening and a must keep book for my reference library. Author Levine has divided her book......more

Goodreads review by Deborah on January 31, 2022

Using for lent and it is really good. As per her usual it is full of historical and theological context and different insights for classic stories:) excited to explore it with my congregation this Lent!......more

Goodreads review by Carl on April 17, 2022

Excellent book used by my Church for this year's Lenten study. The group included an accompanying video lecture for each week. A Biblical Scholar, Ms Levine is the kind of professor I would have loved when I was in school!......more

Goodreads review by Carol on February 22, 2022

Amy-Jill Levine with her book "Witness at the Cross" takes an intriguing look at Good (Holy) Friday, the day of Christ’s Crucifixion. Focusing on many of the secondary characters that were involved in, or were also there on that day. She uses a great blend of Scripture both Old Testament and New Test......more

Goodreads review by Jane on April 19, 2023

I read this book with groups in my church during Lent. The author is extremely knowledgeable, and as a Jew who teaches New Testament at Vanderbilt, we learned the Jewish history and customs of Jesus' day. Those in my groups agreed that the subheading "A Beginner's Guide to Holy Friday" was misleadin......more

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