The Gospel of John (‘the Fourth Gospel’) is presented through the symbol of a diamond. With the motif of light dominant from the opening Prologue culminating in the saying of Jesus, ‘I am the light of the world’, the symbol of diamond draws on this to indicate the constant inter-flow of its method and style. Like light falling on a diamond and flowing from facet to facet the themes of the Gospel of John are highlighted and held together. This creates a dynamic which is circular, drawing those who read and pray the Gospel into a deeper understanding of its spirituality and theology.
After an Introduction ten themes are chosen. These are Light, Life, Truth, Home, Joy, Peace, Freedom, Glory, Mission, Love.
Together they represent the revelation that the evangelist elucidates, expressing the relationship that God the Father wishes to have with people through His Son in the Holy Spirit. While drawing on the commentaries of scripture scholars and writings of theologians to interpret the import of particular passages and verses, this is a study of the so-called ‘Spiritual Gospel’, an appellation that has been attributed from the time of the Alexandrian school in the third century. Called to believe in Jesus the Word made flesh and come to belong to the Father through the bond of love borne by the Holy Spirit the spirituality of the Gospel of John is an invitation to intimacy with the triune God which issues in (as indicated by words of the Second Vatican Council) bringing ‘forth fruit in charity for the life of the world’.
The book concludes with A Prayer to Jesus of John’s Gospel which gathers together the ten themes that have been the focus (facets) of the study.
