The Continuing Dialogue

“What I value in The Continuing Dialogue is the way it not only draws us into a truly sacred conversation with the great signs of John’s gospel, but with visual interpretations which do not so much explain but take us deeper into the mystery of those encounters. Brian Bishop argues that, paradoxically, a painting is more—not less—apophatic than words, and claims less adequacy to that which it represents. Rich and nuanced, this book argues for a truly participatory interpretation of word and image.”


—Alison Grant Milbank, University of Nottingham





“This volume is the fruit of the author’s thorough and painstaking research carried out over many years. There is no doubt, given its distinctive focus on five popular episodes in the Gospel of John, that it will make a significant and most welcome contribution to the ever-growing body of literature on the Bible and art. It brings freshness, imagination, and vitality to the way we read and interpret these much-loved Gospel stories.” 


—Martin O’Kane, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, United Kingdom





“In his analysis of over forty images, Bishop offers an accessible account of how art can illumine the interpretation of John’s Gospel. Focusing on five particular narratives (the Wedding at Cana, the Woman of Samaria, the Woman taken in Adultery, the Raising of Lazarus, and Jesus’ Washing of the Disciples’ Feet), he makes a convincing case for understanding artists as biblical interpreters.”


—Christine E. Joynes, University of Oxford