The Beloved Disciple in Performance: Rhetoric, Delivery, Proximity, and Johannine Discipleship

This book reconsiders the Fourth Gospel’s portrayal of the Beloved Disciple through the lens of biblical performance criticism. The study demonstrates how a skilled performer—alert to the text’s observable rhetorical cues—brings the central features of the Disciple’s characterization to life in front of an ancient audience. While many interpreters have cast the Beloved Disciple as an “ideal” figure, Zito argues that he is distinguished not by perfection but by his willingness to be near Jesus and move toward him in every circumstance.