Tip Sheets
Cornell expert: How the most misunderstood Gospel shapes politics, public life
February 19, 2026
Media Contact
From Southern Baptists distributing Gospel of John booklets at the 2026 Winter Olympics to State Department nominee Jeremy Carl defending antisemitic comments rooted in misreadings of its text and context, the past two weeks have underscored how the Gospel of John continues to shape public and political discourse nearly two thousand years after its creation.
Kim Haines-Eitzen
Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Kim Haines-Eitzen, professor of ancient Mediterranean religions at Cornell University and author of the just-released “The Gospel of John: A Biography,” can speak to the lasting impact of this most quoted — and arguably most misunderstood — book of the New Testament.
Haines-Eitzen says:
“The Gospel of John has been beloved by Christians throughout history and yet it also contains some of the most stridently anti‑Jewish language in the Bible.
“Cherished for its depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, its use of the phrase ‘the Jews’ to describe Jesus’ opponents was invoked to justify Reformation‑era calls to burn synagogues, shaped the ideology of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooter, and resurfaced on January 6, when rioters carried whips in imitation of John’s Temple scene.
“From the missionary efforts in Milan to the antisemitic views of right-wing Christian nationalists, the Gospel of John’s dual — and troubling — legacy is on full view.”
