The Second Paraclete Saying in the Patristic Writings: A Study in the History of Exegesis

In the field of Biblical studies, there is an increasing interest in the reception history of the Bible. Concerning the Gospel of John, much of the current research in reception history is done with respect to the history of the transmission of the Biblical text and to issues of canonicity and authority in the early second century. However, the research done so far did not pay enough attention to the meaning that the Biblical text receives in the patristic writings. Thus, in my doctoral research I will investigate the reception of Jn 14:25–26, the so-called second Paraclete saying, in the works of Christian writers from the first millennium. This project aims to document and analyse the evidence, which consists of both exegetical and dogmatic works of Greek and Latin Christian writers that quote and/or allude to Jn 14:25–26 and comment upon it, from three perspectives: the practice of referencing, the method of exegesis, and the content of interpretation.