Scholars have long noted that comments by the author or editor, often referred to as “narrative asides” or “parentheses,” are frequent in the Fourth Gospel. The Function of Narrative Comments in the Gospel of John:A Literary and Linguistic Analysis is a comprehensive guide to this significant feature. In the vein of Gilbert Van Belle’s Les Parenthèses dans L’Évangile de Jean (1985), Lamb provides a detailed analysis of the terminology, definition, and categorization of these comments, and interacts extensively with existing scholarship. He looks at the role of the comments in the Gospel’s composition, assesses their function using insights from literary theory, dramatic theory, and sociolinguistics, and makes comparisons with OT historical writings, the Synoptic Gospels, and the works of Herodotus and Thucydides. He concludes that the narrative comments are an integral part of the text, which reflect the authority of the author, and that they have significant implications for our exegesis of the Gospel.
The Function of Narrative Comments in the Gospel of John is a comprehensive study of a major feature of the Fourth Gospel. It provides a clear and accessible overview of scholarship in this field, as well as providing fresh insights from contemporary literary and linguistic theories.
