We Renegades have completed our voyage through the gospel according to John — deep perplexities, heated disputes, inspired digressions and all. Three new pages track our wayward course to the shore of Lake Tiberias where, in John’s last chapter, the risen Jesus hails his floundering disciples to join him for the fish-fry he’s got sizzling on the griddle.

In Passion and Doubt, we navigate John’s unique account of events leading up to the crucifixion, and delve into the John-only story of Doubting Thomas. In My End Is My Beginning finds us in uncharted water as we explore the mysteries of the resurrection and of the gospel’s double ending. Finally, in a freewheeling Coda, we contemplate the earliest known portrait of John and let the winds of wonder take us where they will — to Aristotle, Dostoevsky, Wallace Stevens and more.

Feel free to join us for a scintillating debate around the campfire, and thanks as always for following the Gospel Renegades.

Two lively new installments of the Gospel Renegades’ Reading John project are hot off the press. In “From Abraham to Zen” and “Jesus & Judaism“ we brave our way through Chapters 6 to 9, delving deep into some of the Beloved Disciple’s most famous (and infamous) passages — from debates over circumcision to the woman taken in adultery, from the mysteries of blindness to the ever-volatile disputes over John’s portrayal of the Jews.

Gospel Renegade Bill Berg’s first essay on our site has just appeared under the new heading of BERG’S BUNKER (click on the top or left margins).  Its title, “The Agony of Resurrection in John 11-12,” should be a heads-up that we’re closing in on the Main Event in John just as we’re approaching Easter in this anno Domini  2014!

Share in our adventures and join the conversation! Many thanks to all of you for following the Gospel Renegades.

The Renegades have now reached Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John in two new installments of our rocky voyage through this mysterious text.

On the first new page, Strange Brew, we try to map the meaning of John’s eccentric violations of chronology in Chapters 1-3 — his front-and-center juxtaposition of the water-into-wine miracle at Cana, the expulsion of money-changers from the temple, the debate with Nicodemus — and of the relentless theologizing that, alone among the Evangelists, he attributes to Jesus.

On the second page, Renegade Rebellion, a surge of visceral disenchantment dominates our reading of chapters 3-6. We struggle to find a way of understanding what John’s up to that can overcome our growing alienation from his portrait of a dogmatic, self-obsessed, self-proclaimed savior.

Come read along with us and join the debate! Thanks for following the Gospel Renegades.

After a few months of R&R to recuperate from puzzling our way through Mark, the Gospel Renegades take a deep breath and plunge into the theological ocean of John’s gospel. We’ve just published the first page of our new adventure, wrestling with the mystical paradoxes of John’s great prologue, “In the beginning was the Word … “

The comments, controversies and questions are flying fast & furious, and we’ll be posting new installments soon. Come join the conversation—and thanks for following the Gospel Renegades.

To read gospel renegade Bob Connor’s latest essay, A SACRED IMPERATIVE, just go to Connor’s Corner on our website where you can link to it directly and post comments. While you’re there, check out the concluding installment of our journey through the Gospel of Mark. And keep an eye out for the launch of our Gospel of John project, coming soon.

Thanks as always for following the Gospel Renegades.