John has been working at a new, expanded edition of the commentary on Isaiah 40-55 in the International Critical Commentary series which he did with David Payne. The Introduction and Bibliography are posted here under Isaiah.
John has been working at a new, expanded edition of the commentary on Isaiah 40-55 in the International Critical Commentary series which he did with David Payne. The Introduction and Bibliography are posted here under Isaiah.
From John: The Scriptures are a book of sermons, so the Scriptures are instructive not just in providing us with the contents of our preaching, though they do that, but also in providing us with models for our preaching, showing us what preaching is like. In the Old Testament, especially, God preaches in a number of different ways. He preaches by telling stories. He preaches by giving instructions. He preaches by issuing promises and warnings. He preaches by sharing reflections. He preaches by passing on prayers and praises that he accepts. There are other ways in which he preaches in the Old Testament, but these are prominent ways. So I asked myself, in the Old Testament, what stories does God tell about peace? What instructions does he give about peace? What promises and warnings does he issue about peace? What reflections does he share about peace? What prayers and praises about peace does he pass on?
For more see John’s Peace article on the Biblical Interpretation Page
John has written a new article (find it posted under Other Papers:
The story of Achilles and other heroes in Homer’s Iliad resonates with the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel, and so does the first-person story of Haim Sabato in Adjusting Sights. All concern involvement in war and the relationship of warriors with God or the gods. They offer different but overlapping and mutually-illuminating perspectives on God or the gods and on polytheism or monotheism or mono-Yahwism, on the involvement of God or the gods in earthly events and on humanity’s role in events, on the relationship between that divine involvement and human decision-making, on the nature of the human person, on relationships between humanity and God or the gods, on war, and on death and afterlife.
John was a guest of this Calvin Institute of Christian Worship podcast, Listen here: John Goldingay on the Psalms are Full of Theology and Straight Talking
I’ve been informed some users land on “hmm…can’t access this page” or a similar message when attempting a download. I even get this on my computer! If you wait a few moments for the security systems on our page and your computer to “talk” and “give clearance”, you will find the download you requested will load automatically. Stay on the “hmm…” page and you will be rewarded. Blessings, Kathleen
A new article has been added on the Prophets page: The Wesley Gilpin Lecture that John gave at Regents Theological College in Malvern, UK, in October 2025.
A new article by John on Zechariah 2-3 can be found on the Prophets page:
In the second of Zechariah’s dream visions, a divine aide bids a surveyor rethink the project of building new walls for Jerusalem, and in the third, Yahweh bids a court restore the stained Joshua to his high-priestly role. These visions continue to suggest ways of thinking about Jerusalem, about the Jewish people, and about the church. They also continue to suggest ways of thinking about the leadership of the people of God, and in particular the leadership of the church when it is in crisis, as it is in the Church of England.
This paper is a draft of a contribution for a volume surveying the way texts in the First Testament rework or are reworked by other First Testament texts. John’s chapter is all about Exodus. It’s posted under Pentateuch
The “sin offering” in Leviticus 4 has had a significant role in the development of a doctrine of the atonement. The article considers further what Leviticus means by sin or offense, sin offering or offense offering, mistake, guilt offering or fault offering, stain on the person and on the sanctuary, violation, reparation , ransom or covering or cleansing or atonement, and pardon and forgiveness. It notes how these find expression in Israel’s history, and considers how they illumine the significance of the death of Jesus for the Jewish people and for the world. It notes that Leviticus does not talk about wrath, propitiation of God, or substitutionary punishment. It concludes that looking at the death of Jesus in light of its provision, one can see that he dissolved our stain, won a victory over the forces of death embodied in our stain, made reparation to God on our behalf, embodied God’s gracious willingness to carry us in our waywardness, and drew the world to seek God’s pardon, but that God is concerned for justice as well as mercy and can also let his people and the world carry their own waywardness.
The article is posted on the Theology page.
This is a contribution for an upcoming book on “Biblical Justice,” for which I was asked to write the chapter on Ezra-Nehemiah. I think it is right that the expression mishpat usedaqah, which is usually translated “justice and righteousness,” is the biblical term for (social) justice), so in this paper I look at Ezra-Nehemiah in light of that. It’s posted under “Writings.”