John's Gospel

In this study, Fr. Peter Grover, OMV, proposes an innovative intratextual approach to the Gospel of John—one that interprets the entire Gospel as a unified literary and theological work. Focusing on the author’s intent, he argues that the Prologue (John 1:1–18) functions as a theological blueprint for the whole narrative, revealing God’s plan to form “children of God” through the revelation and person of Jesus Christ.

Grover traces how the major themes introduced in the Prologue—light and darkness, truth and falsehood, belief and unbelief, acceptance and rejection—recur throughout the Gospel with deliberate structural coherence. By following these internal patterns, he highlights John’s portrayal of Jesus as the divine agent of creation, revelation, and redemption.

Challenging the limitations of traditional historical-critical methods, which often fragment the text or depend on speculative external sources, Grover advocates for a text-centered reading that respects the Evangelist’s literary artistry. This intratextual method uncovers the Gospel’s intentional unity and its theological depth, presenting John not merely as a collection of episodes but as a crafted masterpiece of Christian proclamation.

Balancing scholarly rigor with pastoral clarity, this book is well-suited for seminarians, theology students, and general readers alike. It invites readers to see anew how the Gospel of John leads believers into the mystery of divine revelation and into the transformative encounter with Christ.