The Anonymous Witness:
Solving the Riddle of the Beloved Disciple’s Anonymity in the Fourth Gospel
A Blurb
The so-called Beloved Disciple — “the disciple whom Jesus loved” — if he’s so important, why is he anonymous?
It’s a mystery. And a riddle.
Pondering the complexity of the “Johannine problem” led The Revd Dr Steven Daly to investigate the third of four inter-related riddles: Who is this Beloved Disciple? What does that identifying clause—“the disciple whom Jesus loved”—actually mean? Why present your star eyewitness anonymously? And, fourthly, what exactly is his relationship to the text itself? By focusing on solving one riddle, the third, the riddle of anonymity, Steven believes he’s solved all four. Has he found the solution to a 2,000 year-old mystery?
You be the judge.
Endorsements
“This book was a pleasure to read and makes an excellent contribution to theological learning. The argument presented cuts through standard scholarly readings (and frameworks) and leads to an original conclusion; one that is compelling.”
Professor Peter G. Bolt
Australian University College of Divinity
Director, Centre for Gospels and Acts Research
Editor, Journal of Gospel and Acts Research
“Steven Daly has taken a fresh look at the old problem of the authorship of the Fourth Gospels. He takes readers on a journey into the identity of the enigmatic “Beloved Disciple” to show us how anonymity, authorship, literary art, and testimony are forged together. While the conclusion may not be new, the path towards reaching it certainly is!”
Rev. Dr. Michael F. Bird (PhD University of Queensland),
Deputy Principal
Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
“This book presents a critical engagement with previous literature that shows an admirable independence of thought. The conclusion concerning the identity of the BD (John Zebedee) is not novel. However, the approach taken—adapting earlier work on anonymity and sequential reading—leads to a highly original and convincing conclusion.”
The Revd Dr Bill Salier
GAFCON Theological Education Network
New Testament Lecturer and Author