A Divine Round Trip: The Literary and Christological Function of the Descent/Ascent Leitmotif in the Gospel of John

How does the Evangelist utilize the Descent/Ascent Leitmotif to shape

the telling of Jesus’ story, and what is he conveying by incorporating

this round trip language? The argument of this book is that the

Descent/Ascent Leitmotif, which includes the language of not only

descending and ascending, but also coming, going, and being sent,

performs a significant literary and christological function in the

Gospel of John. The Evangelist’s Descent/Ascent Leitmotif becomes the

Gospel’s organizing principle, drawing together this constellation of

verbs and a number of christological themes, including Jesus’ origin,

identity, relationship to God, authority, signs and works, life, and

glory. Using a thematic structural method, this book illustrates the

transforming influence of the Leitmotif on these themes from which

John’s Christology emerges. Additionally, this book examines the spatial

dimensions and christological importance of the vertical and horizontal

depictions of Jesus’ divine round trip.