Configuring Nicodemus: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Complex Characterization

Abstract

Configuring Nicodemus: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Complex Characterization is the newest addition to Johannine character studies. In this volume, Michael R. Whitenton, lecturer in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core at Baylor University, examines the figure of Nicodemus. Combining insights from ancient rhetoric, biblical studies, and modern cognitive science, Whitenton makes a compelling case for seeing Nicodemus as a model of discipleship who moves from doubt to Johannine faith. Of course, this is no short order given the limited passages concerning Nicodemus in John’s Gospel (John 3, 7, and 9). Whitenton’s case rests on the similarities between Nicodemus and stock characters in Greek rhetoric—the fool and dissembler. In antiquity and now, these stock characters elicit reactions in their audience to mimic the character’s development and, in this case, move from suspicion to assurance. Whitenton’s volume charges the reader not only to reexamine the character of Nicodemus but also to reject the default mode of reading biblical persons as flat characters.The book is arranged around seven chapters. Chapter 1 (“Introduction”) begins the volume with a short introduction to recent trends in Johannine character studies and outlines Whitenton’s thesis. Chapter 2 (“Characterization, Cognition, and Ancient Listeners”) introduces the reader to the field of cognitive science. Whitenton argues that people internalize character depictions and place themselves in their shoes. Readers (and hearers) are wired to empathize with individuals on paper. Although one might argue that Whitenton’s application of modern cognitive science is anachronistic, he shows that his method appeals to universals within the mind which transcend time. Chapter 3 (“Relevant Prototypical Characters”) examines the work of Theophrastus. Theophrastus was a pupil and successor of Aristotle who wrote the principal discourse on character types, titled On Characters. Whitenton sketches a brief portrait of Nicodemus from John 3, 7, and 9 to draw comparisons with two of Theophrastus’s stock characters. Specifically, Whitenton examines the fool and the dissembler and their primary characteristics. In chs. 4 (“Configuring Nicodemus in John 3:1–21”) and 5 (“Stability and Development in Nicodemus’s Character in John 7 and 19”), Whitenton sets about the task of explaining the Johannine narratives concerning Nicodemus in light of his selected stock characters. While modern scholars have insisted that Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus in John 3, the comparison with stock characters reveals that Nicodemus is more likely rejecting Jesus. This negative portrayal is heightened when Nicodemus begins to change subtly in John 7 and 19. Whitenton argues that Nicodemus’s final actions in John 19 of burying Jesus signify a departure from dissembling his discipleship and a turn toward following Jesus. This transition in Nicodemus’s character arc signifies his complex and dynamic presentation in John’s Gospel. Chapter 6 (“Rhetorical Function[s] of Nicodemus”) explores the rhetorical functions of John’s presentation of Nicodemus. One aspect of Whitenton’s analysis that is distinctive is his conclusion that John 3 is written as a humorous episode. Whitenton argues that this presentation is more than cheap laughs and seeks to persuade the reader to empathize with Nicodemus’s dynamic. Chapter 7 (“Conclusion”) summarizes the argument and charges the reader to invest in seeing other biblical characters “come to life.”Reconfiguring Nicodemus is a fascinating study in character development and opens up exciting possibilities for continued character studies. As Whitenton notes, his work is for the purpose of highlighting an ignored angle in characterization and I think he does just that. The book also weaves together a fascinating interdisciplinary method, drawing on classic and modern approaches. I think Whitenton hits the nail on the head with several of his evidences and conclusions. Yes, John’s Gospel deserves to be heard, and by analyzing its aural characteristics, we gaze deeper into John’s thought world. Yes, John’s readers/listeners were part of a complex world and textual artifacts from this time period help us to get into that world. Yes, John’s characters are emblematic. One question that still remains is the value in comparing John’s characters with stock characters in Greco-Roman literature. John’s Gospel and audience are primarily Jewish. Whitenton answers this question throughout, but I am left wondering whether Jewish literature offers the same “generic” stock characters. Ben Witherington wrote about some of these connections in his book New Testament Rhetoric. He works through the oral culture of the biblical world and then begins to show how Greco-Roman persuasion techniques are used in NT books. It is fascinating and perhaps instructive that he does not detail the Gospel of John.Criticisms and questions withstanding, Whitenton’s argument is welcome and well-articulated, along with being highly readable. The Bible is not a boring text with flat characters. Instead, one should read the Bible’s depiction of disciples, and in this case, Nicodemus, with the excitement, fear, and expectation that one would read the Harry Potter series. Well, he had me at Harry Potter.