Light of the World by Amy-Jill Levine

Light of the World by Amy-Jill Levine

In Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary's visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary's Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt.

The book provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. As part of a larger four-week study that is perfect for Advent, a DVD and a comprehensive leader guide are also available.

Amy-Jill Levine is a University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University and the Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, as well as an Affiliated Professor at the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations. The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (2006), Short Tales by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (2014), the edited 13-volume Feminist Companions to the New Testament and Early Christian Literature (2001), and the co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011) are among her many books.