This book reconsiders the Fourth Gospels portrayal of the Beloved Disciple through the lens of biblical performance criticism. The study demonstrates how a skilled performeralert to the texts observable rhetorical cuesbrings the central features of the Disciples characterization to life in front of an ancient audience. While many interpreters have cast the Beloved Disciple as an ideal figure, Zito argues that he is distinguished not by perfection but by his willingness to be near Jesus and move toward him in every circumstance.
Eric Christian Zito (PhD, Loyola University Chicago) is an independent scholar specializing in the New Testament and Early Christianity. His research focuses on biblical performance criticism, and he is the author of Delivery in Rhetorical Handbooks, Speeches, and Material Remains, in Persuasion and Performance: Cultural Immersions (Cascade).
