Otherness and Identity in the Gospel of John by S. U. Lim (review)

I began this book with a sense of anticipation and excitement, attracted by the title and with the expectation that it might have relevance for me as I seek to interpret biblical texts from the view of the marginalised. I am not a Johannine scholar but approached this book as an interested albeit naïve reader. The first chapter thoroughly gripped my attention, with a comprehensive summary of the remaining six chapters. It was readable, dense in content, and captivating. However, the following six chapters seemed laborious. Perhaps for Johannine scholars, the details will be of interest, but for me, the difficult terminology and language made it tedious.

Lim's first chapter, "Why Otherness Matters in Biblical Interpretation," would be valuable to any curious reader. Lim points out that, "[i]n the past, Johannine scholarship [has tended] to reinforce the rhetoric of exclusion … by emphasizing a dualistic worldview" (1). He contends that his book seeks to apply "inclusive theology" to the Gospel of John, thereby promoting "tolerance of others." "Othering" is viewed as emphasising the perceived weaknesses of marginalised groups so as to stress the alleged strength of those in positions of power (Edward Said 1978). The danger is that readers often accept as infallible such constructions of otherness and apply them into their worlds (Mitzi Smith). This is dangerous as people have multiple identities, and these identities have contextual relevance (Ruth Sheridan).

Lim (6–7) asserts that minor characters in the Gospel of John can be reconstructed to challenge and destabilise such dualistic thinking. He considers three aspects of otherness (heteronomy, relationality, and autonomy) in conversation with Derrida, Bakhtin, and Bhabha. He seeks to use narrative criticism (as a method) and deconstructive postcolonial criticism (as a critical lens) to create a new construction of minor characters. For example, Jesus is viewed in terms of many identities (those related to heaven/earth, Galilean/Jew, and ruled Jew/ruling Jew).

In chapter 2, entitled "Interpretive Frameworks for Otherness and Identity in the Johannine Narrative," Lim expands on his approach, arguing that narrative criticism by itself is inadequate to bring in a new perspective, and proposes the additional employment of postcolonial and deconstructive views. In particular, he uses the work of postcolonial criticism (Fernando F. Segovia, Tom Thatcher, Musa W. Dube, and Jeffrey L. Staley) to foreground the power dynamics within the colonialimperial context, and the work of deconstructive critics (particularly Colleen Conway) to highlight the element of ambiguity present in Jesus's interactions with minor characters. In this way, he seeks to "shatter the Johannine dualism and undermine the power structure operative in the Jewish and Roman milieus" (17). Towards this end, he looks at the literary critical work of R. Alan Culpepper, Paul D. Duke, Gail R. O'Day, and Susan Hylen. His assertion is that "deconstructionists tend to be less attuned to power dynamics, whereas postcolonial critics tend to be less aware of ambiguity" and both approaches are needed (27).

Thus, Lim seeks to deploy narrative criticism as a literary critical method to foreground the ambiguity of Johannine minor characters within a both/and framework. He uses deconstructive criticism to enrich our understanding of identity (using Butler's theory of performative identity, which notes that identity performed by a character is open to transformation by other characters). And he uses postcolonial criticism to analyse minor characters in terms of power relations. This gives an identity of Jesus that is relational, with minor characters playing a significant role in building the portrayal of his character.

In chapter 3, "Reading the Otherness In-Between," Lim studies the relationship between Nicodemus and Jesus (looking at six different "scenes"). He shows that both characters perform a multiplicity of identities, which are ambiguous, ambivalent and subversive. Nicodemus crosses the boundaries between Judaism, Christianity, and the Roman Empire within a both/and framework. Similarly, Jesus's identity is ambiguous and changing: ontologically in-between heaven and earth; ethnically both a...