Dialogue and Drama: Elements of Greek Tragedy in the Fourth Gospel.Dialogue and Drama: Elements of Greek Tragedy in the Fourth Gospel. By Jo-Ann A. Brant brant or brant goose, common name for a species of wild sea goose. The American brant, Branta bernicla, breeds in the Arctic and winters along the Atlantic coast. (Hendrickson, $19.95). This engaging book argues that the Fourth Gospel owes much to elements of Greek drama, even though it is not an actual drama, since there is a large role for a narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. . Through comparisons with the classical Greek tragedies, Brant sheds light on the unique Johannine presentation of Jesus. In four chapters she covers the dramatic structure of the Gospel, the method of showing action by speech, the creation of identity through dramatic action and dialogues, and the death of Jesus. Brant convinced me that much in the Fourth Gospel can be appreciated more clearly if the conventions of drama are understood. I found especially helpful her demonstration that the Fourth Gospel presents the death of Jesus as the beautiful death of a hero, through an insightful comparison with Iphigenia at Aulis. She argues that this dramalike writing invites the audience to praise Jesus and to emulate em·u·late tr.v. em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing, em·u·lates 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated. 2. him in living out the love commandment com·mand·ment n. 1. A command; an edict. 2. Bible One of the Ten Commandments. commandment Noun a divine command, esp. . However, the implications Brant draws from her insights are not totally convincing. She argues that the Gospel was generated more by the conventions of the dramatic genre than by the history and experience of a community. For example, the negative role of the Jews Jews [from Judah], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism. can best be compared to the chorus in Greek tragedy, a conventional device pitting tradition against new revelation. She is reluctant to see anything like a church behind the Gospel, preferring a picture of readings among a circle of friends. To be sure, one cannot read the community straight out of the plot and characters of the Gospel, but Brant goes too far in divorcing the writing from any social context. This book will provoke much new genuine insight on the Fourth Gospel, but it is not a book for quick interpretation for sermon preparation. It is a serious and partly successful attempt to change the way one reads the Fourth Gospel. David W. Kuck, United Theological College This article is about school in Bangalore. For school in Wales, see United Theological College Aberystwyth. United Theological College (UTC) is a theological seminary situated in the southern city of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka in South India. , Kingston, Jamaica The City of Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica. It is located on the southeastern coast of the island country at Coordinates: . |
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