Bøger i Europaische Hochschulschriften/European University Studies/Publications Universitaires Europeennes Reihe 23: Theologie/Series 23: Theology/Serie 23: Theologie serien

The conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus belongs not only to the theologically important but also to the exegetically controversial pericopes of the fourth gospel. Scholars have named it «Summe des Evangeliums» and «Evangelium en miniature» (cf. Jürgen Becker). Jn. 2,23-3,36, structured as a diptych of parallel and complementary scenes (2,23-3,21 & 3,22-36), each having a similar tripartite structure, contains the synthesis of the fourth evangelist¿s Christology and soteriology and serves as a key to understand the scheme of the whole gospel. Using the current tools of literary and narrative criticism (characterisation, chiasmus, double entendre, dualism, irony, misunderstanding, parallelism, plot, symbolism, etc.), the author examines minutely the network of Jn. 1,19-4,54, subjects Jn. 3 to a thorough exegesis, defends the integrity and unity of Jn. 3 and analyses the heart beat of the gospel, viz. its double and parallel Christology of the Son of Man and Son of God, which complement each other. Being at home in French and German besides English, through a wide consideration of literature and multi-disciplinary methodology, he contributes substantially to the understanding of a central text of the fourth gospel.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence, and Christian faith, the principal of our salvific process, is ordinarily baptismal. Our Christian existence through faith is, therefore, fundamentally baptismal, that then lives on the Eucharist. This work expounds this theological fact in the light of the New Testament baptismal theology.