---

I have immense pleasure to publish my doctoral thesis, named Why Are You Speaking with a Woman (Jn 4:27). I have tried to show the ecclesiological, missiological and christological sensibilities of the church of the Beloved Disciple and its relationship with other churches of apostolic origin. My suggestion is that the disciples who raise the unarticulated question in Jn 4:27 represent the Petrine churches and the woman represent the church of the Beloved Disciple. Why did they question Jesus´ behavior? Why did Jesus choose to make a mission in Samaria? The answer to these questions is given on the basis of the intercommunitarian relationship of different churches in the early church and on the nature of relationship among the four canonical gospels. Finally, we conclude a scriptural basis for the theology of the church as a communion of individual churches of equal rights and duties. Fr. Jose Maniparampil Biblia Publications, Aloor, 680 683. Kerala, India josebiblia@rediffmail.com

---

Fr.Jose Maniparampil, M.A Calicut Univ., MTheol and ThD from St. Peter´s Pontifical Inst. is presently the resident prof. of the Bible at Tejas Vidyapeetha, Bangalore. He has been a visiting prof. at St. Ephrem´s Theological colg. and Salvatorian Inst. of Philosophy and Theology,Tanzania. He has written 7 books in English and 45 books in Malayalam.

---