Complexity and creativity : John’s presentation of Jesus in the Book of Revelation
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2011Author
Naylor, Michael P.
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Abstract
This thesis provides an examination of John’s depiction of Jesus in Revelation. Past studies of John’s presentation of Jesus in Revelation have tended to focus upon either the synthesis of the various themes and phrases or upon a particular image used throughout the book. Past studies have likewise generally focused upon either the Old Testament or Roman emperor worship as the major source for the imagery used by John. Within this thesis, I argue that John interacts with imagery from his cultural context (Roman emperor worship), from the key writings of his apparent religious heritage (the Old Testament), and from convictions shared with the wider early Christian community. In the sections devoted to each of these three sources (Roman emperor worship, the Old Testament writings, and early Christianity), I provide an assessment of the way that John utilizes images, phrases, and motifs from each in his depiction of Jesus. The interaction with this material represents, I argue, not a haphazard conglomeration of material from divergent sources, but rather a complex, well-developed set of religious convictions concerning Jesus, creatively expressed in this early Christian writing.