The Great Glory

John the Baptist and Composite Intertextuality in the Fourth Gospel

Recent scholarship has focused on John’s relationship to Judaism, his intertextual method, and his portrayal of John the Baptist, yet few connect these topics. We know the Evangelist is a masterful storyteller, particularly with his characters, which raises the question: Could we view the relationship between the Fourth Gospel and Judaism through the lens of the Baptist? This study explores the intersection of scriptural allusions and characterization related to John the Baptist, uncovering another perspective to the complex interplay between Judaism and the Fourth Gospel. Readers will discover how John the Baptist emerges as a key figure, illuminating the narrative and reinforcing the Gospel’s themes. This engaging exploration challenges conventional interpretations and invites the reader to see the Fourth Gospel in a new light

THE BRAHM NIRUPAN OF KABIR

The word Brahm means the Absolute or Ultimate Reality that is the primal cause of the existence of the universe and all beings. Nirupan means the form or nature of that Reality. For simplicity, we can say God. Yet we know that God is beyond forms and attributes that we can ascribe to Him. But we need to use words to communicate, so Kabir explains to his disciple that the Ultimate cannot be described in words, but must be experienced inwardly. He then describes various methods of approaching God, the negative actions to avoid, and the virtuous ones to be cultivated, as one progresses on the spiritual path to enlightenment. Kabir uses several Indian analogies and metaphors to explain the teachings to his earnest disciple.

The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Second Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians