The Theology of God’s Glory (Doxa) as Re-Interpreted by the Evangelist John

Rezumat

This study examines the theology of God’s glory (Hebrew kabod; Greek doxa) and its re-interpretation by the Evangelist John. It traces the concept from its Old Testament roots – where kabod denotes weight, magnificence, and the Shekinah as a mediating, often storm- or fire-associated theophany – through the Septuagintal shift that renders kabod as δόξα, reframing glory from social reputation to an attribute of divine presence. Contrasting classical Greek usages of δόξα as renown with LXX theology (and noting Philo and Josephus as partial intermediaries), the paper shows how John appropriates Priestly, prophetic (Ezekiel, Isaiah), and Wisdom (Sirach) traditions to hypostatize divine glory in the Logos. Focusing on the Prologue (Jn 1:14), the Cana sign, Nathanael’s vision, temple imagery, the Farewell Discourses, and the High Priestly Prayer, the study argues that John redefines eschatological glory as already present in Jesus. Through motifs of light, seeing, revelation, and the temple-as-body, Jesus functions as the incarnate Shekinah – the hypostasis of kabod – whose presence both reveals covenantal truth and executes judgment, enabling participation in divine life. The Gospel’s seven signs and the ‘eighth day’ typology culminate in the paschal glorification of cross and resurrection. Methodologically, the study reads John’s literary structure, wordplay, and intertextual echoes to demonstrate a deliberate theological synthesis that anticipates later patristic concerns yet stands as a distinct Christological achievement: the transformation of an Old Testament liturgical and theophanic category into a person-centered revelation – Jesus as the saving glory of God.