Language:
English
Year of publication:
2023
Titel der Quelle:
Literature and Theology
Angaben zur Quelle:
37,2 (2023) 142-154
Keywords:
Bible Comparative studies
;
Yi jing
;
Water Religious aspects
;
Christianity
;
Water Religious aspects
;
Judaism
Abstract:
Water is a master metaphor in literature, appearing in many writings around the world. In some cases, water is stormy, vicious and destructive; in others, water is calm, steady and enriching; in yet other cases, water is reachable, manageable, and replenishable. In this essay, I will examine the different meanings of ‘a well of water’ by comparing Jacob’s well in the Gospel of St John and the Jing (‘The Well’, #48) hexagram in the I Ching or Book of Changes. In this comparison, my goal is to show that while ‘a well of water’ has a universal appeal as a symbol of finding ‘a living spring’ in one’s spirit, it has different connotations and implications in different cultural systems. In these two renditions of ‘a well of water’, we find authors providing different answers to the fundamental questions of human existence and the meaning of life-long learning.
DOI:
10.1093/litthe/frad014
URL:
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