Class 2 THE GOSPEL OF MARK 1 Outline § What Is a “Gospel”? § The Lives of Mark § Academic Approaches to (Sacred) Texts § Literary Criticism, & its Subset, Narrative Criticism ú Literary criticism in general ú Narrative criticism applied to Mark 2 WHAT IS A “GOSPEL”? 3 1
What is a Gospel? § “Gospel” = English translation of ευαγγελιον (good news) § It’s a political term Octavian, later Priene Calendar “Caesar Augustus” Roman Emperor Inscription 37 BCE –14 CE 9 BCE 4 Priene Calendar Inscription 9 BCE The Greeks of Asia resolve to reset their calendar from a lunar calendar to a solar one, beginning on the birthday of Augustus Caesar ευαγγελιον since [the birthday] of the god was the beginning of the good new[s] for the world that came by reason of him This word “good news,” ευαγγελιον ,is our word “gospel” 5 What is the/a Gospel? § “Gospel” = English translation of ευαγγελιον (good news) § It’s a political term § There are four in the Bible, but over 50 known texts: ¨ Biographies Matthew, Mark, Luke, John ¨ Sayings of Jesus (no stories) Thomas ¨ Special revelations Mary, Philip [John] ¨ Infancy stories James, Thomas ¨ Passion accounts Peter § Not just “histories,” but calls to us to believe and act 6 2
What is the/a Gospel? More like ancient biographies ( bioi ) than history ú little interest in character development, “essence” is thought to be somewhat static throughout life ú unlike history, it is often anecdotal, and less concerned with cause and effect ú variety of social functions • literary artistry • propaganda • teaching • apologia (defense of the person against criticism or misunderstanding) • encomium (praise of the worthy person to foster emulation) • establishment of a line of tradition to authorize certain persons in the author's present 7 Mark Matthew Luke 8 Tetramorph Church of St. Trophime Arles, France 9 3
Tetramorph Book of Kells, folio 27v Dublin, Ireland 10 THE LIVES OF MARK 11 12 4
Codex Sinaiticus Mark 1:1-4 13 The Lives of Mark Peter’s Spirit’s Matthew’s scribe pen summarizer c.30 CE 65–75 75-90 c.130 200 400 Jesus dies Gospel Matt & Lk Papias Origen Augustine composed copy Mk scissors & paste man redactor & author theologian reporter narrator Mark 1555 1863 1901 1919-1945 1956 1970s-80s TODAY Heinrich William M. Dibelius Willi Rhoads & Michie John Tolbert Holtzmann Wrede R. Bultmann Marxsen Calvin Donahue 14 ACADEMIC APPROACHES TO (SACRED) TEXTS 15 5
Three Parts of Communication Acts Text Author Audience Your reading posture = “critical distance” What question do you want to ask? (Workbook pp. 40-42) 16 Source Criticism What question Sayings Passion Miracle Birth Clusters Narrative Cycle Story World do you want to ask? before Form Criticism the text Miracle Parable Controversy Chreia Genealogy Text Author Audience 17 What question do you want to ask? World OF Text the text Author Audience Text Criticism (if you know Greek) 18 6
What question do you want to ask? World OF Text the text Author Audience Redaction Criticism (if you have the sources he edited) 19 What question do you want to ask? World OF Text the text Author Audience Rhetorical Criticism Social-scientific Criticism 20 What question do you want to ask? Text Author Audience World Cultural Studies after Contextual Feminist Criticism the text Criticisms Postcolonial Criticism 21 7
LITERARY CRITICISM, & ITS SUBSET, NARRATIVE CRITICISM 22 Literary Criticism in General § encompasses many approaches § initially meant any close reading ¨ including form and source criticism § but since 1960s, it has shifted to methods practiced by English literature scholars ¨ focus on final text, not sources ¨ author worked with sources, but his new creation has its own literary integrity ¨ increasing attention has been paid to readers’ response 23 Narrative Criticism A branch of literary criticism that examines narratives or stories. The term has been largely coined by biblical scholars who have sought to apply the insights of literary critics to the gospel narratives. 24 8
Narrative Criticism: Authors & Audience IN the Narrative Real Implied ≅ ≅ Implied Real Narrator Narratee ⦚ ⦚ Author Author Audience Audience Text or Narrative 25 Narrative Criticism: The Story-Discourse Distinction Story • the content of the narrative; WHAT it tells Seymour Chatman • includes characters, setting and plot 1928–2015 Discourse • the RHETORIC of the narrative; HOW it is told • includes several techniques for shaping the story elements to persuade a reader of the author’s point of view Seymour Chatman, Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1978). 26 The Gospel of Mark as Story Narrative Elements Characters Rhetoric: How the author shapes these elements to persuade the audience of Settings his/her point of view Plot 27 9
The Gospel of Mark as Story Rhetoric: How an Author Shapes Narrative Elements Characters Rhetorical Techniques • revealed by showing or telling • irony • exhibit dominant traits; rarely “change” • flat or round • point-of-view • they are evaluated by the implied author Settings • symbolism • locations • temporal markers set narrative pace Plot • order, duration and frequency • juxtaposition & sequence: framing, • causation (kernels & satellites) intercalation, • conflict repetition 28 The Gospel of Mark as Story Rhetoric: How an Author Shapes Narrative Elements Narration Who narrates? What is his/her level of knowledge, reliability, point of view? Symbolism Technique for suggesting interpretation; depends on shared context knowledge Irony A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their actual meaning and intended meaning diverge. Dramatic irony refers to a situation in which the audience knows something that the characters don’t. 29 The Gospel of Mark as Story Rhetoric: Point-of-View The (implied) author shapes the response of the reader by insisting that the reader adopt a point of view consistent with that of the narrative. To discern the evaluative point of view, read closely the narrator’s statements and be sensitive to the structure of the narrative. Determine the norms, values, and worldview with which the narrator judges the evidence. 30 10
The Gospel of Mark as Story Plotting Exercise in Mark 1:1–8:38 Synoptic Workbook , pp. 43-61 1. Where are the episode breaks? 2. Do any episodes seem more significant than others (possibly “kernels”)? How do you know? 3. Is there a building of characterization or conflict? Are there causal connections between episodes? 31 The Gospel of Mark as Story An Overview of the Gospel Plot I. Prologue (1:1-3) II. Galilean Ministry (1:4-8:21) III. Peter’s Confession, Prediction of Passion and Journey to Jerusalem (8:22-10:52) IV. Controversies in the Temple (11:1-13:37) V. Passion Narrative (14:1-15:39) VI. Resurrection Narrative (15:40-16:8) 32 “Causal Connections” § Markan sandwiches Mk 5 (Ger demoniac) Jairus’ daughter [bleeding woman] Jairus’ daughter Mk 11:15ff Temple [fig tree] temple § The end-time Compare Mk 13:28-36 (apocalyptic discourse) To Mk 14 (passion narrative) 33 11
MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE FOR MARK 34 Gospel of Mark Manuscript Evidence There are 1,738 manuscripts of Mark; only 9 of these date to the first 600 years of Christian history Mark 1:1-4 Codex Sinaiticus Century Manuscript Extent 200s P45 Parts of Mark 4–9, 11–12 (& Mt, Lk, Jn, Acts) 300s P88 27 verses from chapter 2 01 all 03 all 0188 7 verses from chapter 11 c. 400 05 1:1–16:14 400s 02 all 04 most 500s 032 all D. C. Parker, An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and Their Texts (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008) 319-20. 35 12
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