Das Petrusbild im Johannesevangelium

In the Gospel of John, the figure of Peter has often served as a stumbling-block rather than a rock. In comparison with the beloved disciple, scholars have perceived a contrast with the synoptic image of Peter, and suggested that the opposition was not reconciled before John 21. In this work, Tanja Schultheiß comes to a different conclusion. She provides the first synchronic (narratologically inspired) analysis of all Johannine passages mentioning Peter in comparison with the synoptic images of Peter. Her conclusion is that the Johannine image of Peter is neither in contrast with the synoptic images, nor is there a real gap between John 1-20 and John 21. The ambivalences in John's image of Peter have a precise narrative and also a theological function. In the interplay with the beloved disciple, and as a speaker for the other disciples, Peter is the example that shows how all disciples are dependent on the post-Easter perspective of the Fourth Gospel.