ANALECTA BIBLICA - 177

Johns VARGHESE

The Imagery of Love in the Gospel of John

«The dissertation of Fr. Johns Varghese published form in this volume recommends itself for multiple reasons. There have been various monographs about aspects of the theme of love in the Gospel of John, but no exhaustive study of this theme from the synchronic and diachronic point of view. The dissertation published here combines both aspects and arrives at new conclusions. In choosing the term “imagery”, our author uses a concept becoming more important in recent times. The term allows the interpreter to start from the existing text instead of asking immediately for its literary roots. (…) Three main semantic field emerge – bride-bridegroom, friendship, and covenant – which can be attributed to two cultural backgrounds – Old Testament and Jewish tradition, and the Greco-Roman world. (…) The courage of our author to ask hermeneutic questions at the end of this investigations merits praise» (Johannes Beutler, S.J.).

Fr. Johns Varghese belongs to the Diocese of Pune, India. He holds a B.Sc (Chemistry) from Pune University and a SSL from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. He defended his Doctoral thesis, The Imagery of Love in the Gospel of John, in Biblical Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. At present he is teaching in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Bangalore, India. He is also a member of the Neo-Catechumenal Way and is the presbyter of the “Missio Ad Gentes”, Pune.