The Questions of Jesus in John: Logic, Rhetoric and Persuasive Discourse

233 Pages·2012·1.728 MB·English

by  Douglas Estes

The Questions of Jesus in John
Biblical Interpretation Series
Editors in Chief
Paul Anderson
Yvonne Sherwood
Editorial Board
Akma Adam – Roland Boer – Musa Dube
Jennifer L. Koosed – Vernon Robbins
Annette Schellenberg – Carolyn J. Sharp
Johanna Stiebert – Duane Watson
Ruben Zimmermann
VOLUME 115
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/bins
The Questions of Jesus in John
Logic, Rhetoric and Persuasive Discourse
By
Douglas Estes
LEIDEn • BOSTOn
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/bins 2013
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Estes, Douglas.
 The questions of Jesus in John : logic, rhetoric and persuasive discourse / by Douglas Estes.
  p. cm. — (Biblical interpretation series, 0928-0731 ; v. 115)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBn 978-90-04-20510-9 (alk. paper)—ISBn 978-90-04-24029-2 (e-book)
1. Bible. n.T. John—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Jesus Christ. 3. Question (Logic) I. Title.
 BS2615.52.E88 2013
 226.5’066—dc23
2012031732
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ISSn 0928-0731
ISBn 978-90-04-20510-9 (hardback)
ISBn 978-90-04-24029-2 (e-book)
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for Bridget

COnTEnTS
Acknowledgments  .......................................................................................... xi
List of Abbreviations  ...................................................................................... xiii
1. Why Questions?  ......................................................................................... 1
The Propositional Problem  .................................................................... 2
Lost in Declaration  ................................................................................... 6
Quor Quaestiones?  ..................................................................................... 9
Johannine Questions  ................................................................................ 12
2. Perspectives on Questions  ..................................................................... 14
Asking Questions  ...................................................................................... 14
Ancient Questions  .................................................................................... 15
Questions in Hebraic Context  .......................................................... 16
Questions in Greco-Roman Context  .............................................. 20
Modern Questions  .................................................................................... 27
Questions and Answers  ...................................................................... 28
Questions and Truth  ........................................................................... 30
Questions and Speech  ........................................................................ 31
3. How Questions Work  ............................................................................... 33
Questions vs. Questions  .......................................................................... 34
Questioning Questions  ....................................................................... 37
Defining Questions  ................................................................................... 39
Question Elements  .............................................................................. 42
The Syntax of Questions  .................................................................... 43
The Semantics of Questions  ............................................................. 45
The Pragmatics of Questions  ............................................................ 47
The Traditional Approach to Questions  ............................................ 49
Informational Qualities of Questions  ............................................ 52
Rhetorical Qualities of Questions  ................................................... 54
4. John’s Use of Questions  .......................................................................... 57
Why John Uses Questions  ...................................................................... 58
Questions Inform Dialogue  ............................................................... 59
Questions Persuade Readers  ............................................................ 61
viii contents
Obstacles to John’s Questions  ............................................................... 64
Question Types & Case Studies  ............................................................ 68
5. Open Questions  ......................................................................................... 69
Variable Questions  .................................................................................... 71
Case Study: John 7:19c  ........................................................................ 73
Set Questions  .............................................................................................. 76
Case Study: John 8:46a  ....................................................................... 77
6. Reflective Questions  ................................................................................. 81
Indexical Questions  .................................................................................. 83
Case Study: John 11:26b  ...................................................................... 85
Test Questions  ........................................................................................... 87
Case Study: John 18:4b,7a  .................................................................. 89
Conditional Questions  ............................................................................. 91
Case Study: John 3:12  ........................................................................... 94
Speculative Questions  ............................................................................. 97
Case Study: John 6:62  ......................................................................... 99
Sequence Questions  ................................................................................. 103
Case Study: John 1:38a  ........................................................................ 105
Expository Questions  ............................................................................... 107
Case Study: John 8:43  .......................................................................... 109
7. Decisive Questions  ................................................................................... 111
Polar Questions .......................................................................................... 113
Case Study: John 5:6  ............................................................................ 116
Alternative Questions  .............................................................................. 118
Case Study: John 18:34  ........................................................................ 120
Deliberative Questions  ............................................................................ 123
Case Study: John 18:11b  ....................................................................... 125
8. Responsive Questions  .............................................................................. 128
Opposing-Turn Questions  ...................................................................... 131
Case Study: John 3:10 ........................................................................... 133
Echo Questions  .......................................................................................... 136
Case Study: John 13:38  ........................................................................ 138
Retort Questions  ....................................................................................... 140
Case Study: John 11:9a  ......................................................................... 142
contents ix
  9. Coercive Questions  ................................................................................. 145
Loaded Questions .................................................................................... 147
Case Study: John 9:35  .......................................................................... 149
negative Polar Questions  ...................................................................... 152
Case Study: John 11:40  ....................................................................... 155
Biased Questions  ..................................................................................... 157
Case Study: John 8:10b  ...................................................................... 160
10. Answers and Questions  ......................................................................... 163
John, a Dialectical Gospel  ..................................................................... 166
John, a Rhetorical Gospel  ..................................................................... 168
Future Questions  ..................................................................................... 171
Bibliography  ..................................................................................................... 173
Index of Modern Authors  ............................................................................. 199
Index of Subjects  ............................................................................................. 205
Index of Ancient Sources  ............................................................................. 210
Index of Greek Terms  .................................................................................... 215