In Search of Jonathan

Jonathan is one of the most tragic, beautiful, conflicted and enigmatic of biblical characters, whose love for and loyalty to two men is never fully reciprocated. Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer interweaves profound biblical exegesis with contemporary fictional retellings, in a tour-de-force that is passionate, imaginative, and immensely scholarly. * Francis Landy, University of Alberta * An accomplished scholar and editor with an international reputation for careful and nuanced scholarship, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer now brings a wealth of experience to the story of the fraught days of Israel's early monarchy. What kind of relationships are portrayed on this narrative canvas, and why is Saul's son Jonathan given more attention than most kings? Is he presented as a conflicted character, or among the most noble and self-sacrificing figures in biblical history? Anyone interested in further research on these questions will need to consult this provocative study that is richly documented with an interdisciplinary flair * Keith Bodner, Crandall University * In Search of Jonathan is a rare example of a book devoted to Jonathan in his own right. This engaging and meticulously argued study draws upon the way Jonathan is portrayed in a range of modern literary works in order to fashion a cohesive character out of the fractured mosaic of the biblical texts. Tiemeyer's Jonathan emerges from the shadows cast by Saul and David as a psychologically coherent yet complex and elusive figure, a 'multifaceted literary character who combines light and darkness', a tragic hero who compels our attention * James E. Harding, University of Otago *