Van der Watt’s Descriptive and Deductive Method

Van der Watt describes his method as “a descriptive endeavor in order to determine the functional dynamics of complex metaphors.”63 He explains further:

I carefully described the way in which John himself applies his own metaphors. . . By carefully describing the way in which metaphors and other figurative elements are used in these extensive and complex collections of metaphors, the basic elements of what could be called ‘John’s theory of metaphor’ can be established.64

Van der Watt develops a theory of metaphor by analyzing John 15, 10, and 4

respectively. This review will single out Van der Watt’s analysis of John 15 in order to show how he arrives at his theory and network of metaphors.65 First, Van der Watt underlines the importance of interpreting metaphors within their socio-historical context.66 Second, as a framework for interpreting the vine metaphor, he describes in detail the socio-cultural context of viticulture in Greek and Jewish antiquity. Points Van der Watt highlight include the following: 1) special care given by the gardener of the vine, 2) pruning the vine, 3) the fruit of the vine, 4) the gardener’s emotional involvement with the vine, and 5) aspects of vine farming absent in John’s metaphor.67 Third, Van der

63

Van der Watt, Family of the King, 24.

64 _{Van der Watt, Family of the King, xv.}

65

Van der Watt, Family of the King, 25-54.

66 _{Van der Watt, Family of the King, 12.}

67

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Watt analyzes the metaphorical language of the first eight verses of chapter 15.68 Van der Watt’s analysis leads to a theory of four “metaphorical constructions,” namely, 1) substitution, 2) analogical interaction, 3) comparison, and 4) climactic description.69 Van der Watt’s method shows how metaphors in the Gospel form a semantic cohesion on meso- and macro-levels. At the meso-level, metaphors relate together to create a larger image.70 At the macro-level, metaphors form intra-textual relationships,71 that is, they relate to each other within the text. Van der Watt also identifies a thematic cohesion in the text, this cohesion of themes occurs in the following areas: 1) semantic field of thematically related words, 2) repetition of words, objects, or motifs, 3) stylistic features

68 _{Van der Watt, Family of the King, 31-48. Van der Watt also examines vine imagery in the rest}

of chapter 15 and also discusses vine imagery as OT symbolism. Van der Watt, Family of the King, 50-54.

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Substitution occurs when literal words are replaced with figurative words resulting in

personification. Personification eases the semantic tension occurring in metaphorical statements like “I am the door” (10:7) or “I am the Vine.” (15:1). Van der Watt explains, “Through personification the qualities of the inanimate door are transferred to Jesus, and vice versa. Within the boundaries of the imagery this lowering of the borders between the literal and figurative worlds becomes possible as well as functional.” Analogical interaction, takes place for example in chapter 15, with the use of verbs like “pruning,”

“remaining,” and “bearing fruit.” Verbs common to vehicles and tenors bring about analogical interactions. In 15:2, the Father prunes the disciples as a gardener prunes branches, and in 15:4-5 the disciples are to stay in Jesus and bear fruit as branches are attached to the vine. Comparison parallels two different situations and states the exact points of comparison. For example, 15:4 makes a comparison between fruitfulness in branches and fruitfulness in the disciples; here, the metaphor mirrors two different situations with fruitfulness being the point of comparison. Last, climactic descriptions give metaphors dramatic effect. In John, dramatic effect occurs when nouns and verbs, usually joined together with καί clauses, appear in conjunction to one another. An example is 15:6, when climactic description magnifies the horror of

destruction when four verbs, linked by καί, describe how the branches will be gathered and burned. Van der Watt, Family of the King, 111-117.

70 _{For instance, in chapter 15 the metaphors substitute the figurative realities of gardener, vine, and}

branches for the Father, Jesus, and his disciples respectively. These objects then interact with one another. The gardener (Father) prunes the vine (Jesus), while the branches (disciples) stay in the vine (Jesus). Van der Watt concludes that substitutional and interactive metaphors cohere to form a semantic network of metaphors, which creates meaning in the text. Van der Watt, Family of the King, 123-124.

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As related metaphors are repeated, they join with previously mentioned themes to form images. According to Van der Watt, themes in chapters 14 and 15 are interrelated by similar terms such as

λελάληκα, ντολή, and κόσµος. Thus, the vine metaphor in chapter 15 reflects what Jesus said in chapter 14 and in both chapters, concepts such as unity and remaining in Christ lead to a macro interpretation. Van der Watt, Family of the King, 126-127.

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such as parallelism or chiasm, 4) linguistic features like syntax and semantics, and 5) use of words belonging to the same semantic field within a single context (e.g., light, lamp, and blindness).72

Van der Watt unveils a network of family metaphors that include metaphors such as father, son, brothers, house, birth, and life. For example, in the metaphor of birth, Van der Watt examines birth in the ancient Mediterranean world and lists all direct and indirect references to spiritual birth in the Gospel, after which he interprets the metaphor of birth in chapters 3:1-10; 1:12-13, and 8.73 Van de Watt arrives at his network of metaphor of birth by connecting all the references to birth in the Gospel.74

Van der Watt’s descriptive and deductive method is primarily semantic, he identifies key metaphorical terms and links the terms together based on ancient Mediterranean socio-historical culture. In sum, the networks of metaphors in Van der Watt’s research are formed by observing lexical, semantic, and socio-historical connections throughout the Johannine narrative.