The Print's First Kiss: A Rhetorical Investigation of the Implied Reader in the Fourth Gospel

Rating:
Summary: A good literary study of John's Gospel
Review: Its a pretty recent trend to approach the Bible with the same techniques as approaching literature, so biblical narrative criticism is still in it's early stages. This book is a step forward, picking up some ideas from Culpepper's Anatomy of the 4th Gospel and running with them.

Starting with a discussion on narratology, Staley gives a clear definition of Real Author/Reader, Implied Author/Reader and Narrator/Narratee. He then goes on to discuss the techniques that the (implied) writer of John employs in drawing the (implied) reader into the text. Just as the narrator's purpose is to bring the reader into faith (20.30-31), the implied author also uses literary techniques to this same end.

I'm a fan of this book. His argument is clear and reasonable, and his style is not convuluted as some biblical scholars can be.
Staley seems to have a good grasp of both literary theory and Johannine scholarship. He seems well read and includes an extensive bibliography.