John Bolneli

John Bolneli, 10^th–11^th century church figure, writer, preacher, Bishop of Bolnisi. He served for a time at the Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos; he died in Bolnisi.

John Bolneli is a major representative of Georgian homiletics. His homilies that have come down to us are mainly explanations of one or another episode of the Gospel, but also contain moral and ethical ponderings. John Bolneli's sermons are a vivid example of Georgian eloquence and high mastery of artistic speech. His famous sermon “To the Wine Drinkers and Drunkards” influenced the corresponding sermon of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani.

 

Literary work: ქადაგებანი, ტფ., 1911.

Literature: ბარამიძე  რ., იოანე ბოლნელი, თბ., 1962; კანდელაკი  ნ., ქართული მჭევრმეტყველება, [ტ.] 1, თბ., 1975; კეკელიძე კ., ქართული ლი­ტერა­ტუ­რის ისტორია, ტ. 1, თბ., 1960.

 

R. Baramidze