The Son-father Relationship and Christological Symbolism in the Gospel of John

This volume examines Johannine symbolism in context of the relationship between Jesus the Son and God the Father. The Johannine revelation of Christ symbolically portrays Jesus as Son of God relationally inseparable from his Father, thus the Son-Father Relationship (SFR) is at the center of the network of Christological symbols in the Gospel. The SFR is subtly and symbolically introduced in the Prologue (1:1-18), developed in the narrative through the words and actions of Jesus' teaching ministry before culminating in the Prayer, which at the end of Jesus' teaching ministry elevates the SFR to its highest point in the narrative. Thus, the narrative development of the SFR structures John's unique symbolism. A key feature of this book is the Theory of Johannine Symbolism, which is the theory of symbol specially formulated to reveal the symbolic network referred to in this study as "John's ChristologicalSymbology." The theory explains how Johannine symbols function in the text while the symbology reveals how the author of the Gospel unveils Jesus as Son of God by means of a symbolic network centered on the SFR and set within a strategic, persuasive narrative.
Throughout the Gospel, the authorial intent expressed in 20:31 is unmistakable - that hearer-readers believe Jesus the Christisthe Sonof God. The symbolic narrative of the Gospel of John is therefore the consequence of careful theological consideration of Jesus Christ in context of his relationship with God the Father.