John the Commentator: How Narrative Asides Engage Readers, Traditions, and Reception

This thesis establishes the hermeneutical, rhetorical, and historical value of narrative asides in ancient texts. It asserts that narrative asides are an integral tool for John as his way to wield historical accuracy, persuasion, personal insight on Jesus, and theological precision together for the common cause of setting down what he considers to be the necessary elements to bring readers into the fold of God. Scholars have not often realized the importance of asides, although they are John’s most prevalent style characteristic. Those noticing asides have not pursued their hermeneutical, historical, or rhetorical significance. In response, this thesis begins in chapter 1 by examining narrative asides in their first century rhetorical milieu, as well as their fundamental nature as intentional communication to address feedback, according to communication theory. Chapter 2 examines asides in their Greco-Roman context by examining several works of historiography from the first century and beyond, in order to see how asides are regularly recognized and relied upon in literature parallel to John. In chapter 3, this thesis tests its observations on John 21:23 as a likely candidate for the narrator’s critical engagement of readers and traditions, finding that John’s use of narrative asides is similar to other first century historiographers. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 examine several asides in John in detail according to their designation as either parenthesis, digression, or apostrophe, as described by first century rhetorical practice. This thesis finds that John employs narrative asides as a literary-rhetorical maneuver to make commentary that can critically engage texts, and readers on the basis of their reception of Christian texts and traditions, providing exegetes today with a wealth of insights into John and his context.