The Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel

For some years a number of Biblical Scholars have been concentrating on studies of the gospel of John.  This particular author is one of them.  He basically examines the gospel approaching it from as though it were a secular book and applies principles of literary analysis as to authorship, narrator, the target audience for whom it was compiled and so on.  Some sections of what he writes here are instructive and interesting, especially on the use of irony and symbolism.  This is a book for scholars, those doing their doctoral studies for instance.  It is forensic in its approach, perhaps pastors who are attempting to preach a series through the gospel of John would gain an enlarged view of the form, shape and subtleties present there.  As you would expect from this kind of author and scholar there are suggestions that John the beloved disciple did not write this gospel.  Instead there may be as many as three authors.  For those interested in the study of the fourth gospel but with limited time for reading probably should avoid getting this book.