John Barton was the Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford from 1991 to 2014 and since 1973 has been a serving priest in the Church of England. He is the author of numerous books on the Bible, co-editor of The Oxford Bible Commentary and editor of The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2007 and is a Corresponding Fellow of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
The joy of The Word isn't reaching its final conclusion, but the unexpected journey itself, told so well that it will engage those who have never set foot in churches as readily as the faithful in the pews -- Peter Stanford * The Sunday Times * A book bejewelled with insight and erudition and compassion .... Ought to be of interest to anyone interested in what we mean by our words -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman * His learning shines through in every sentence -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday * Scholarly intelligence, a readable style, and insights at every turn -- Cally Hammond * Church Times *