More Information
ISBN: 9781839739279
Imprint: Langham Global Library
Format: Paperback
Dimensions (mm): 229 x 152 x 7
Publication Date: 31/03/2024
Pages: 136
Language: English

Overcoming the World

Glory and Shame in the Gospel of John

£11.99

From the first century to the twenty-first, Christians have never been immune to persecution, displacement, or trauma. However, by following Jesus’s example in the Gospel of John, and rooting themselves in their identity as children of God, they can experience God’s power to transform shame into glory.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus experiences extreme forms of humiliation, rejection, and suffering. Yet, in sharp contrast to those around him, he seeks and sees God’s glory in everything he does and everything that is done to him. Beginning with this reality, Yevgeny Ustinovich examines how the Fourth Gospel invites Christ’s followers into this same way of seeing, where the glory of God is found even in the most difficult of circumstances. He explores the relevance of this invitation for the contemporary church, as it seeks to minister to victims of war, abuse, persecution, and other forms of violence. A powerful resource for dealing with trauma as a Christian community, this book offers its readers a deeper understanding of the Gospel of John, Christian identity, and the role of suffering in the Christian life.

Author Bios

Yevgeny Ustinovich
(By)

YEVGENY USTINOVICH has a PhD in biblical studies from Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Belgium, as well as a PhD in Germanic languages from Donetsk National University, Ukraine. He serves as a research associate of the Department of New Testament and Related Literature at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. In 2014, he became a refugee, which inspired his interest in the topics of suffering, persecution, and Christian identity.

Endorsements

Overcoming the World combines a broad sweep of what lies behind John’s gospel with fascinating examples of how the experience of suffering is shaped by perspective, and perspective is shaped by identity. Yevgeny Ustinovich helps us to see that if we take John’s gospel seriously, we will reconsider the meaning and opportunity of suffering. This book is worth reading and re-reading.

Georges Carillet, DMin
President,
Teaching Ministries International, Florida, USA


Overcoming the World brings gospel hope and comfort to all who are living through challenges of life and relational pains – that is, to so many of us. Yevgeny Ustinovich places John’s gospel firmly in the context of rejection and persecution of the early Christians by their own people. His pastoral reading drives home in vivid examples what John’s gospel is all about: victory through defeat, conquest through martyrdom, renewal through destruction.

Jelle Creemers, PhD
Director, Institute for the Study of Freedom of Religion or Belief,
Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Part I: “Not of the World”
  3. 1 Tribulation in the World
  4. 2 Where Are We From?
  5. 3 Where Are We Going?
  6. 4 The Eyes That See God’s Glory
  7. Part II: “In the World”
  8. 5 Two Kinds of Glory
  9. 6 The Disciples’ Path
  10. Conclusion
  11. Selected Bibliography
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