Imagery in the Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is well-known for its wealth and depth of figurative language, metaphors and symbols. These articles, written by some of the leading scholars in Johannine exegesis and particularly in the debate on Johannine imagery, utilize a broad variety of methods of interpretation. The authors provide an in-depth discussion of the variety of terms and forms of figurative speech and explore the conceptual and traditio-historical background of central motifs. Some of the most prominent Johannine images (lamb, king, bread, shepherd, vine, eating and drinking and others) are discussed with regard to their literary design and theological meaning. The collection aims at opening up paths in the tangled thicket of John's figurative world, it amply demonstrates the close relationship between the different metaphors and images in the Fourth Gospel and opens the view to the inter-relatedness of its theological themes.

Introduction: Ruben Zimmermann: Imagery in John. Open up paths in the tangled thicket of John's figurative world

I. Terms, Forms and Methods

Harold W. Attridge: The Cubist Principle in Johannine Imagery. John and the Reading of Images in Contemporary Platonism - Rainer Hirsch-Luipold: Bilder im Klartext - Klartext in Bildern. alethinos ktl., parresia - paroimia, semeion als Signalwörter für eine bildhafte Darstellungsform im Johannesevangelium - Uta Poplutz: Paroimia und parabole. Gleichniskonzepte bei Johannes und Markus - Silke Petersen: Die Ich-bin-Worte als Metaphern am Beispiel der Lichtmetaphorik - Jean Zumstein: Bildersprache und Relektüre am Beispiel von Joh 15,1- 17 - Paul N. Anderson: Gradations of Symbolization in the Johannine Passion Narrative: Control Measures for Theologizing Speculation Gone Awry - Folker Siegert: Von der Restauration übermalter Bilder. Worum geht es in der 'Brotrede' Joh 6? - Jesper Tang Nielsen: The Blended Lamb. The Cognitive Grounding of the Johannine Lamb of God

II. Texts, Themes and Theology

Marianne Meye Thompson: »Every Picture Tells a Story«: Imagery for God in the Gospel of John - Ulrich Busse: Die Königs-Metapher im Johannesevangelium - Mary Coloe: Witness and Friend. Symbolism associated with John the Baptizer - Petrus Maritz and Gilbert van Belle: The Imagery of Eating and Drinking in John 6:35 - Francois Tolmie: The (not so) Good Shepherd. The Use of Shepherd Imagery in the Characterization of Peter in the Fourth Gospel - Robert A. Culpepper: Designs for the Church in the Imagery of John 21:1-14 - Craig R. Koester: What does it mean to be human? Imagery and the Human Condition in John's Gospel - Jan G. van der Watt: Ethics Alive in Imagery