Finally a narrative – Mark:

Outline:•Dating and authorship•Orality and the scripted gospel•Narrative character of Mark•Mark’s symbolic narrative

The significance of Mark’s narrative

• Is the Gospel of Mark the most influential text in Western culture?

• The source for the written narrative of the Passion.

• The most important source for Matthew and Luke.

• Doesn’t create Christianity, but gives it its single most important narrative.

Dating of Mark• Scholarship over the past century has seen

Mark as the first narrative gospel to be written.• “Synoptic theory” stands behind this.• Mark is the shortest gospel, contains some

sayings, parables, and teaching material, but not nearly as much as Matthew, Luke.

• There appears no discernable reason for Mark to cut material associated with Jesus.

• Also, Mattew and Luke clearly interpret material found in Mark.

• Stylistically Mark is less developed than Matt and Luke.

• So all this adds up to the position that Mark must have come first and was used as a source for Matthew, Luke.

Also, look at the gospel chest in the mosaic of Ravenna (mid 5th cent.)

Dating continued

• Gospel is aware of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple: Mark 13: 1-2, 14-23.

• Titus and Vespasian finally conquered Jerusalem, entered and sacked the city in 70 CE.

• Victory commemorated on the triumphal Arch of Titus in Rome:

Arch of Titus, in Rome

Relief of sack of Jerusalem under arch of Titus

Who is “Mark”?• Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, around 140 CE,

says this: “Mark, who had been Peter's interpreter, wrote

down carefully, but not in order, all that he remembered of the Lord's sayings and doings.  For he had not heard the Lord or been one of his followers, but later, as I said, one of Peter's.  Peter used to adapt his teaching to the occasion, without making a systematic arrangement of the Lord's sayings, so that Mark was quite justified in writing down some things just as he remembered them.  For he had one purpose only -- to leave out nothing that he had heard, and to make no misstatement about it.”

Who is “Mark”? continued• There are problems with this:• Papias is writing some 70 years after the

composition of the gospel.• Mark’s gospel is quite negative about Peter.

Would a disciple disparage his teacher in the way this text disparages Peter?

• When the gospel was written, Peter had been dead (martyred) just a few years and had been a respected leader of the church in Rome.

• The two other synoptics in fact try to rehabilitate Peter from Mark’s negative picture.

Who is “Mark”? -- continued• Recent scholarship sees the gospel written in

Galilee or southern Syria, not Rome.• The superscription "The Gospel according to

Mark“ is not an original title.• And gospel no where refers to authorship in its

text. • Best conclusion is that the gospel is by an

anonymous writer, writing for a Greek-speaking community in Galilee or Syria shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem.

• Note that other two synoptics are also anonymous.

The gospel and orality• Why 40 years to get the narrative gospel

written? • The privileging of orality.• All of Jesus’ teaching was oral.• Paul too is mostly an oral teacher.• “Spirit” – “pneuma” – versus the “dead letter.”• Mark, though scripted, shows strong influence of

orality, oral storytelling.• E.g., “once” this or that happened. Jesus “used

to” do this. • Oral pericopés woven together to create

narrative. • Mark in fact seems to stand between orality and

the world that will value written texts.

Symbolic character of Mark’s narrative

• Not so much interested in “what happened” as in what it means.

• But seldom says exactly what this meaning is.• Instead it wants to involve the reader in “reading” that

meaning. • A “user-challenging” gospel, rather than “user-friendly”

gospel.• Parable at 4:3-23 suggests the way the gospel itself is to

be read. • Parables to prevent understanding -- ??• Distinguishes “insiders” and “outsiders.”• Emphasis on the work of the reader to “crack” the code,

to become an insider to the meaning.• 4:33-34: parables vs. private understanding. But what

will come of the insiders’ advantage? • What of the reader’s position? Will the reader become

an insider?

Mark’s beginning• Begins with forceful designation, “Son of God.”• But this is missing from earliest mss.• This becomes the declaration of the three key

moments of the gospel, its “secret.”• We shouldn’t jump to a conclusion of what this

term means – from Gospel of John or declarations of Councils of Nicea (fourth century) or Calcedon (fifth century).

• Kings of Israel and prophets are called “Sons of God.”

• Then this mysterious figure announced by a text from Isaiah.

John the Baptizer• Strange garments indicate a prophet.• Geographical difference from Jesus’ preaching,

Judea, not Galilee. • (Historically, Jesus and John appear to have led

separate movements; in Acts we learn of sect separate from Jesus’ followers still loyal to John several years after Jesus’ death.)

• But Mark makes their movements dovetail.• Jesus receives a revelation seemingly meant

only for him.• Is this passing through waters, then being driven

into wilderness for 40 days (a symbolic number)an allusion to Exodus?

Sense of immediacy and the kingdom• Things happen “immediately” or “at once.”• Disciples of “inner circle” follow “immediately” –

sense of mysterious power. • Then the “first day” of the kingdom – in

synagogue, “a new teaching”: 1: 21-38. • Then Peter’s mother-in-law, then “all who were

sick or possessed.”• Jesus too unable to escape the unfolding

kingdom, unable to stop the unclean spirits from proclaiming him.

• And unable to escape from the crowds -- the kingdom overwhelms him too.

Geography made symbolic• Everything up to end of chapter 4 takes place in

Galilee, Jewish territory.• Crossing of the sea of Galilee involves

demonstration of power over wind and sea. • Then they enter the country of the Gerasenes,

an episode that coordinates with 1: 23-27: an impressive gentile demoniac.

• Proclamation in the Decapolis.• Then back to Jewish territory: 12-year-old girl,

woman with hemorrages for 12 years. • Only in his own home village is his power

lessened.

The Gerasene demoniac• Jesus and disciples cross into gentile, i.e., polluted,

country.• And immediately encounter an “unclean spirit” in a very

impressive madman. • Who recognizes Jesus as “son of the most high God.” • “Legion” – “for we are many.”• Unclean spirit into unclean animals, which self-destruct.• Swineherds (now out of work?) proclaim the event in

gentile country. • And the former host of the unclean spirits forbidden to

accompany Jesus (he’s a gentile).• But told also to proclaim “what God has done for you.”• Symbolic meanings?

Then back into Jewish territory• Daughter of leader of synagogue, dying.• And an inset narrative: more pollution: a woman

with hemorrhage “for twelve years,” • whose touch should make Jesus unclean.• But the power flows in the other direction.• Woman’s faith is foregrounded; something new

for a woman in the kingdom.• Then back to the first story: the girl appears

dead. • But he touches the potentially “unclean” body

and speaks; the Aramaic quoted.• And again a reversal of pollution: she gets up

and walks.• And she was twelve years old.