Encountering Jesus: Character Studies in the Gospel of John

This book highlights how John's gospel seeks to challenge its readers, past and present, about where they stand in relation to Jesus. The last thirty years have seen an increased interest in the Bible as literature and story. Yet character appears to be neglected in both literary theory and narrative criticism. Indeed, there is not even agreement amongst scholars on how to approach, analyze and classify characters. This book is the first full-length treatment of all the characters in The Gospel of John that encounter and respond to Jesus. Applying a comprehensive theory of character to John's gospel, Bennema provides a fresh analysis of both the characters and their responses to Jesus. While the majority of scholars view most Johannine characters as 'flat' or more complex, developing and 'round'. John's broad array of characters and their responses to Jesus correspond to people and their choices in real life in any culture and time.