RE-INTERPRETING THE ΥΔΩΡ ΖΑΩ (“LIVING WATER”) METAPHOR IN JOHN 4 & 7 IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SOUTH WESTERN YORUBA IN NIGERIA

Most interpretations of the “living water” passages in John 4 & 7 exclusively apply historical-critical, textual or rhetorical criticism to the texts. Those approaches leave out the contexts of the contemporary interpreters. Building on the commonality of the figure of “living water” to both the Gospel of John and the Yoruba in Nigeria, the present work interprets the texts (Jn 4 & 7) in their biblical and contemporary readers’ contexts to fully elucidate the importance of the concept to the community of faith.