Gospel Of Mark Research Articles

The Self-Evidence of Illusion

Abstract The question of verity in our day’s discourses within society, culture and religion challenges philosophy in the face of fake news, manipulations and the virtual. This paper addresses, via an exploration of the later philosophy of F.W.J. Schelling and the Gospel of Mark, whether the illusionary of history ought to be recognised as a form of truth. In his “Positive Philosophy”, Schelling claims that history is characterised by a loss of meaning that cannot be compensated for by philosophy, morality and sciences, and which is caused by a thinking-mode of “presentness”, that knows no true past and future. As a contrast, he proposes the “illusion” of eschatological-utopian thinking, as paradigmatically laid down in the biblical idea of kenosis. The Gospel of Mark also refers to the traumatic character of history, and in its final chapter imparts the notion of a possible counter-history.

The Significance of the "Ransom Saying" in Mark 10:45

The ransom saying in Mark 10:45 has been variously understood as referring to Jesus's death as a substitutionary sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, a victory over demonic forces, or an exemplary sacrifice for his followers. This study assesses the relative plausibility of these three interpretations within the broader context of Mark's Gospel. A survey of the primary proposed textual allusions behind the saying and a consideration of the possible meanings of λύτρον ἀντί in light of ancient Greek texts indicate that all three readings are possible. In the broader literary context of Mark, however, the evidence does not support reading the ransom saying as a reference to Jesus's death as a sacrifice for sins or a means of victory over demonic powers. Instead it favors reading the saying as a reference to Jesus's death as an exemplary sacrifice for his followers.

The Book of Torture: The Gospel of Mark, Crucifixion, and Trauma

AbstractLiterary analysis of texts dealing with the experiences of tortured bodies faces numerous riddles. For example, the urge to be faithful to the victims’ experience hits a wall because of language’s inadequacy to express torment. Another riddle is the urgency to represent the tortured body outside the logic of torture embodied by the torturer. By incorporating some of Elaine Scarry’s insights in The Body in Pain (1988) and paying close attention to the testimonies of those who have survived torture, this article argues that the crucifixion of Jesus in Mark 15 is a case of torture that expands beyond the crucifixion itself and bleeds into other literary topics such as discipleship and the temple.

Being with Jesus and Being Sent Out

AbstractMark 3:13‐19 is key to understanding discipleship in the Gospel of Mark. Discipleship as an important theme in the gospel plays out in how Jesus constituted the group that would become his closest companions. The pericope presents the discipleship mandate as the reason for the call of the twelve. Focusing specifically on Mark 3:13‐15, which we consider the heart of the narrative, we can show that Jesus intended unity and mission to be two essential components of the identity and vocation of his followers. He called the twelve “to be with him” (unity) and “to be sent out” (mission). These two are therefore mutually constitutive and the raison d’être of the Jesus community. The communion (koinonia) resulting from being with Jesus is Christian witness, and there could be no authentic mission (martyria) without unity. In their mission, the twelve will preach and have authority to cast out demons, thus capturing the aspect of diakonia that must accompany Christian proclamation and witness.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Markan Community: A Socio-rhetorical Approach to the Gospel of Mark 14:51–52; 16:5–7

This article analyzes Mark 14:51–52 and 16:5–7, in which a young man (νεανίσκος) appears who is only mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, through a socio-rhetorical approach, and argues that the texts are self-descriptions of the Markan community. Mark 14:51a represents the ideal past of the Markan community when a young man wears a blanket around his bare body and follows Jesus. Mark 14:51b–52 represents the present appearance of the Markan community in crisis when the young man abandons the blanket and flees from Jesus. Moreover, Mark 16:5–7 represents the hopeful future of the Markan community when the young man wears white and commands the women from the right of the place where Jesus lay.

Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas ed. by Blaine Charette and Robby Waddell

Reviewed by: Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas ed. by Blaine Charette and Robby Waddell Susan Wendel blaine charette and robby waddell (eds.), Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas (New Testament Monographs 41; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2020). Pp. x + 253. £70/$90/€80. In this festschrift, colleagues and former students of John Christopher Thomas honor him for his outstanding scholarly work and his significant contributions to the articulation and advancement of Pentecostal theology. Accordingly, in the opening chapter, "In Celebration of John Christopher Thomas," Lee Roy Martin provides an overview of Thomas's illustrious career, along with a summary of his description of the essential characteristics of Pentecostal theology. The next eight chapters offer "Pentecostal readings" of various biblical passages: Rickie D. Moore, "The Spirit of the Story of Rizpah in 2 Samuel 21.1–14"; Blaine Charette, "The Kingdom of the Son of Man and the Vocation of the Church in Matthew"; Robby Waddell, "The Coming of the Son of Man in Mark's Gospel"; Andrew T. Lincoln, "Leading or Following? Some Aspects of the Spirit's Role in John's Gospel"; J. Ayodeji Adewuya, "The Devil, Disease, and Deliverance: James 5.14–16 in the Context of Contemporary African Christianity"; Melissa L. Archer, "'Worship in Spirit and Truth': The Role of Worship in the Fourth Gospel in Concert with the Liturgy of the Apocalypse"; Robert W. Wall, "A Pneumatic Discernment of the Spirit-Beast of Revelation 13.11–17"; and Amos Yong, "'To Him Who Loves Us and Freed Us from Our Sins by His Blood …': A Pentecostal Unveiling of Apocalyptic Love." While the Pentecostal perspectives of many of these scholars have an impact on their interpretation of the Scriptures, most combine their theological readings with other methodological approaches (e.g., narrative, historical, intertextual, comparative). The majority of these early chapters engage seriously with the biblical text even as the contributors integrate their specific Pentecostal outlooks with a range of other methods. For example, Moore explores how the "gaps in the text" provide space for recognizing "the elusive character and presence of YHWH" (p. 25). Notably, this approach responds to the invitation to active engagement in interpretation, which is latent within the text itself. Subsequently, Waddell fuses "narrative and intertextual analysis" with his "theological hermeneutic" (p. 44) to explore how the title "Son of Man" in Mark's Gospel produces a fresh understanding of the identity of Jesus. Such methodological rigor, paired with careful exegesis, produces insightful biblical interpretation. The next six chapters broaden the discussion to considerations surrounding Pentecostal theology: Chris E. W. Green, "Hearing God's Word in the Presence of Our Enemies: Protest, Compassion, and Reconciliation"; William K. Kay, "Pentecostal Eschatology and Historical Events"; Kimberly Ervin Alexander, "Receiving the Spirit in Her Early Pentecostal Body: Sanctification, Spirit Baptism, and the Lamb Slain for Sinners"; Kenneth J. Archer, "The Cleveland School: The Making of an Academic Pentecostal Theological Tradition"; Daniela C. Augustine, "'Restorying' Life and Death: From the Iconoclasm of Violence to Love as the Life of the New Creation"; and Frank D. Macchia, "Signs of Grace in a Graceless World: The Charismatic Structure of the Church in Trinitarian Perspective." As some of the titles imply, these chapters include a more explicit treatment of the impact of Pentecostal spirituality and practices upon biblical interpretation. In particular, the latter chapters include discussions of historical trends that influenced [End Page 349] the development of interpretive traditions within the Pentecostal movement. For example, Alexander explores how the bodily experiences of some early Pentecostals influenced their reception of the Bible; Kay considers Pentecostal readings of Daniel and Revelation during the first quarter of the twentieth century; and Archer reviews the development of an academic Pentecostal theological tradition known as the "Cleveland School." This school of thought began in the 1990s with a group of four scholars, including John Christopher Thomas, who founded the Journal of Pentecostal Theology and its supplement series. Although, at first glance, this festschrift might be construed as a collection of essays from a narrow circle of Pentecostal interpreters, the volume in fact contains a lively array of exegetical discussions and...

The Ever-Rolling Stream: How Time Subverts “Translation for” into “Journeying with”: Half a Century of Bible Translation in Urak Lawoi’

Bible translation in Urak Lawoi’ began with linguistic work in the late 1960s. The Gospel of Mark was first published in 1976 and the New Testament in 1998. The Old Testament, though almost complete, was still in the checking phase in 2018. Those raw data reveal time to be one of the primary players in the drama. Time has impacted the agency of translation and its purpose, its cultural context, and even its medium. But contrary to current efficiency-based presuppositions and product-oriented drive, the result is not all bad. In the process the task has become rather a journey where the companionship is as important as the goal. This paper reflects on the exigencies of time and cultural shift over half a century of Bible translation in Urak Lawoi’.

NAZARETH SCHOOL AS A STIMULUS IN THE BIBLICAL FORMATION OF THE FAMILY COMMUNITY AGNUS DEI

Every family seeks encouragement for their spiritual and sociological growth. This article brings research among 30 members of the Agnus Dei family community. We explored the impact of the biblical text, in particular, the Gospel of Mark on married couples who encounter daily difficulties in raising children, but also in the personal upbringing of adults. The researcher of this article was inspired by the characters of the holy family: Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Jesus ’upbringing in Nazareth and the boy’s upbringing enabled his parents’ personal spiritual formation. That part makes up the first part of the paper. It is followed by a survey among members of the Agnus Dei family community. Research has shown that there is a great interest in God’s word. Throughout the year, attendees had the opportunity to listen to commentaries on the Gospel of Mark. In addition to certain exercises, they applied instructions to daily life. The results showed that their family community was re-formed by the word of God. They felt an improvement in interpersonal relationships in the family but also in the community. The Nazareth school actually became a stimulus for all participants in catechesis. Biblical methods in raising a family indicate positive results.

Food and Gift: On the ‘Words of Institution’ in the Gospel of Mark

This article examines the significance of the notion of the ‘gift’ and ‘givenness’ in the account of Jesus’ last meal (‘last supper’) in the Gospel of Mark. It asks whether attention to the notion of the ‘gift’ can be a useful heuristic for the exegesis of the Markan account of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, particularly regarding the symbolic actions that Jesus performs during this meal. This question is answered affirmatively by highlighting how attention to the narrative representation of the ritual of Jesus’ last meal in the Gospel of Mark can enhance an understanding of Jesus’ violent death in terms of self-giving. The breaking of the bread at this meal becomes, then, a corollary to Jesus’ (bodily) giving of himself for others, as it is connected to the narrative of his violent death, and likely gains meaning beyond that of being a regular part of a meal and a necessary act that enables the sharing of bread.

Interrupting Christian Identity Construction: Catholic Dialogue Schools and Negative Theology

In a recent article, Didier Pollefeyt reflected on the worrisome observation that young children seemingly successfully raised in the Christian faith in Catholic schools lose this faith by the end of secondary education. According to him, the combination of an all-too-positive theology and positive psychology in primary schools (turning these into safe havens) should be complemented by theologies of vulnerability and responsibility in order to present a Christian faith that is able to assist youngsters in situations of conflict, suffering, etc. In this contribution, however, I argue that a more fundamental analysis is to be made to solve this problem, not only for pedagogical but especially for theological reasons. A theological recontextualisation in dialogue with the current context will show us that the interruption of (all too) positive theologies urges these theologies themselves to change from within, into theologies of interruption. After summarising Pollefeyt’s argument, I will analyse the current context of detraditionalisation and pluralisation, pointing to the challenges it poses to all identity construction (including Christian identity construction) that are to be interrupted by difference and otherness. Afterwards, I will shed light on the precise way in which the dynamics of negative theology foster a radical critical hermeneutical consciousness at the heart of the Christian faith, challenging any attempt at solidifying it within closed, self-securing narratives, and thus opening up these narratives to be interrupted. I will illustrate my point with a short reflection on the Gospel of Mark as a Gospel for our times. In the conclusion, I will apply the insights gained to the project of the Catholic dialogue school in order to prevent the counterproductive outcome of self-securing identities.

Void of Ethics No More: The Gospel of Mark and New Testament Ethics

The following article offers an overview of studies on the ethics of Mark in the last four decades. A longstanding tradition in biblical studies has been to render the second Evangelist void or nearly void of all ethical interest. Such disparaging conclusions in regard to the apparently ethically vacuous Gospel are representative in the comment by James Leslie Houlden: ‘For [Mark], as for John, it appears that facing and settling moral problems, in the everyday sense, was not a primary concern’ (Houlden, J.L. 1973 Ethics and the New Testament [Harmondsworth: Penguin]: 45). Scholarship on the Gospel of Mark has since turned a corner: a foray of studies has overturned the conclusion by James Houlden and countless others. The following article offers a summary of ethically sensitive studies of the Gospel of Mark with suggestions for further inquiry.

The general resurrection of the dead in the synoptic gospels

The aim of this paper is to analyze the idea of general resurrection of the dead at the end of times in the synoptic Gospels. We intend to clarify whether this concept can be interpreted as a transposition of the parallel belief contained in some intertestamental writings, or if the singularity of the religious experience expressed in the synoptic Gospels establishes an inexorable moment of discontinuity with the previous apocalyptic framework, making it impossible to understand this doctrine on the sole basis of its Jewish precedents. In order to accomplish our goal, we shall first study the general resurrection of the dead in the Q source, the references to this notion in the gospel of Mark, and its meaning in both Matthew and Luke. We will exclude from our treatment all the topics related with the resurrection of Jesus, and we will be focused on the explicit mentions of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead as such. Since implicit beliefs are always difficult to assess, especially in the context of eschatological ideas, in which vagueness and absence of a systematic effort of exposition often prevail, we will not allude to other synoptic passages which have been regarded as potential expressions of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the end of times.

When Hope And Tension Collide

Through a narrative criticism approach, this article describes how the theme of hope-and-tension form a common thread for the entire Gospel of Mark. Understanding how Mark maintains hope and tension throughout his Gospel will help readers explore Mark's Gospel in a more vivid, integral, and relevant way.

Giving Voice to Pain: New Testament Narratives of Healing in the Poetry of Jacob of Serugh

The late antique Syriac poet, Jacob of Serugh (451–521CE), composed narrative poems or mēmrē on a variety of biblical stories featuring miraculous healings. This essay approaches the subject of pain through examining two of these works: Homily 169 about the woman with a bent spine from the Gospel of Luke (13:10–17) and Homily 170 about the woman with an uncontrolled flow of blood found in the Gospel of Mark (5:25–34) and recounted in Matthew 9:20– 22 and Luke 8:43–48. Composed for liturgical performance, Jacob's poems feature expanded descriptions of the women's bodies and imagined speeches. Through his crafted persona as poetic narrator, Jacob rendered the anomalous female body as a symbol for the sinful human condition, reflecting larger interpretative traditions surrounding these biblical stories. In addition to this exegetical approach, Jacob's poetic form allowed him to dramatise these encounters with Jesus through embellished, first-person speeches. Jacob centres the listener's attention on the physical pain, emotional distress, and the social implications of the bodily conditions of the biblical characters. As a result, his poetry resists the erasure of the female body through the closure of symbolic readings. He embedded his meditations on pain and the social consequences of physical impairment within an overarching anti-Jewish polemic. These complex literary representations project ideals of faithful suffering and Christian identity that were formative for the Syriac Christian communities who heard and preserved Jacob's writings.

Reading Mark's Gospel as a Text from Collective Memory by Sandra Huebenthal

Reviewed by: Reading Mark's Gospel as a Text from Collective Memory by Sandra Huebenthal Ritva H. Williams sandra huebenthal, Reading Mark's Gospel as a Text from Collective Memory (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020). Pp. 694. $74.99. This volume is Sandra Huebenthal's translation of her 2014 work Das Markusevangelium als kollectives Gedächtnis (FRLANT 253; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht); this translation includes a "Foreword" by Werner H. Kelber. Huebenthal begins with an "Exegetical Kaleidoscope" of Gospel scholarship in which she argues for orality-scribality, memory-theoretical approaches, and narrative criticism as preferred hermeneutical lenses. Using these methods, H. intends "to read Mark's Gospel as a collective memory text, namely, one that reflects the efforts of a group to draft a group identity based on that group's memories of Jesus" (p. 81; italics original). To advance this goal, H. devotes a chapter to "Social Recollection," bringing together insights from social memory theorists, primarily Maurice Halbwachs and Jan and Aleida Assmann to produce an ideal type model or matrix of social, collective, and cultural memory. Next, she lays out a model for reading Mark as a memory text. This begins with recognizing that the Gospel consists of individual episodes initially narrated orally within social memory. When transferred into the overall narrative structure of Mark's Gospel, these memories are modified and acquire new meanings (p. 185). As a written text, Mark becomes collective memory functioning as an identity-constituting founding story for a community of commemoration. H.'s reading model begins by gaining an overview of the whole text, paying attention to what is and is not narrated, how it is narrated, its guiding perspectives and transparency. Huebenthal reads the whole narrative as explicating "the (correct) perception of the character Jesus" (p. 235) for the purpose of constituting and organizing a community of narration and commemoration. She sees "the experience of crisis and dealing with crises as a continuous subtext" to which the proper response is "usually withdrawal, composure (also in prayer), reconstitution and continuation at a different place" (pp. 248–49). [End Page 139] Huebenthal devotes three chapters to a detailed analysis of Mark 6:7–8:26, in which she explores the text's intertexture to discover the cultural patterns and frames that have shaped the narrative. Possible Worlds Theory (PWT) enables H. to explore the perspectives of different characters in the text, and of the narrative voice. PWT posits four possible worlds for each character: K-world (knowledge, information, skills, doctrines, convictions, and hypotheses about past and future), O-world (obligations, values, norms, internalized duties, conventions, morals, ethics), W-world (wishes, needs, drives), and I-world (intentions, plans). Finally, H. sheds light on the text's transparency for the community of narration by focusing on the "pragmatics of the text." Rather than asking who the author and audience of Mark's Gospel are, she asks "to which form of Christian identity construction Mark's Gospel offers its invitation" (p. 403). She answers this question by engaging in an intratextural reading, connecting characters and narrative voice with the structure of the whole text. Through these three different strategies, H. demonstrates that in Mark 6:7–8:26 memories of Jesus are presented predominantly within the cultural frame of Hellenistic Jewish Scripture (LXX), traditions, rites, and customs, with some pagan patterns and references appearing in the healing and miracle stories. Based on her PWT assessment, H. contends that "two different worlds converge [in the text] that cannot be reconciled" (p. 396). One is the "O-world" of characters like the Pharisees, scribes, and Herod Antipas; the other is the W-world of Jesus. The narrative voice, through the arrangement of episodes and subtle signals, clearly directs the hearer/reader to adopt Jesus's perspective (p. 397). H. posits a community of commemoration open to newcomers who identify with Jesus, who recognize their own fears, doubts, and mistakes in the disciples, and who try not to repeat them (p. 504). Clean/unclean, Jewish/gentile, rich/poor, sick/healthy, inside/outside are no longer relevant. Jews and gentiles have the same experience of Jesus, yet they do not merge into one group. Community members face local conflicts about matters...

Two Discourses of St Jerome on the Gospel of Mark (Foreword and Translation)

Two Discourses of St Jerome on the Gospel of Mark (Foreword and Translation)

Renewing the Kerygmatic Moment: The Centrality of the Kerygma in the 2020 Directory for Catechesis and the Implications for Forming Clergy and Parish Staffs

Renewing the Kerygmatic Moment:The Centrality of the Kerygma in the 2020 Directory for Catechesis and the Implications for Forming Clergy and Parish Staffs Eric J. Westby (bio) Asignificant theme within the 2020 Directory for Catechesis (DC) is the kerygma, which Pope Francis defined as the initial proclamation of the Gospel.1 In the directory, the emphasis on the kerygma is so pronounced that it raises very important pastoral questions: To what degree might the 2020 DC be advocating for a new model of parish faith formation? If so, what exactly is that paradigm and how should parish staffs be formed for it? To address these questions, this essay will examine the kerygma in light of its Scriptural foundations and its use in the DC, discussing not only the major characteristics of its content but also its pastoral priority. In addition to the DC, the primary sources for this reflection will be the ecclesial writings on evangelization and catechesis from Vatican II through 2020. This will lead to a reflection on the implications for the formation of parish staffs. Scriptual Foundations of the Kerygma The kerygma is the initial saving proclamation of Jesus Christ. A form of the word 'kerygma' is present in Mark's Gospel,2 referring to a [End Page 135] public proclamation,3 and with this announcement comes the invitation to follow Jesus. Jesus models these two elements of content and invitation at the outset of His public ministry. The core message of this preaching is the Gospel of God (Mark 1:1, 14-15), the good news.4 In Mark 1:14, Jesus imparts the kerygmatic message by 'preaching' (from the Greek 'kērussō', a form of the word ''kerygma'), 5 Himself being the herald of His saving message: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching (emphasis added) the gospel of God. . . ."6 In Mark 1:15, Jesus' first kerygmatic proclamation is one of good news that invites the listener to the response of repentance: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."7 Thus the message is not simply a theoretical principle, but it invites the listener to personally respond through repentance, 'mĕtanŏĕō', re-aligning one's being to the content of the message.8 In St. Peter's kerygmatic address of Acts 2, there also is both a content of the message and a response on the part of the listener. On the day of Pentecost, St. Peter gives the prototypical post-Resurrection proclamation, in which he summarizes the Lord's saving work in the Paschal Mystery and calls the listener to repentance, baptism and deeper catechetical formation (Acts 2:14-42). This proclamation brings the person to initial faith, in which the individual responds to the promptings of the Spirit to follow Jesus,9 be baptized and live according to His will. [End Page 136] The Definition of the Kerygma According to the Directory for Catechesis Reflecting the contributions of Pope Francis' 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, the 2020 DC describes the kerygma as the fundamental message of the Christian faith. The kerygma is the first proclamation of Jesus, His saving plan for us that culminates in His passion, death and resurrection.10 The kerygma also contains the offer to heal us of sin and lead us to everlasting life. Pope Francis summarizes the saving kerygma as a simple, joyful recalling of Jesus' love: "Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you."11 In the DC, the personal response to the kerygma is all-encompassing: No element of one's life is exempt from this call to conversion, and if one lives this message, every aspect of one's being takes on new purpose and meaning in Christ. The DC makes this connection between the content and daily living, in that ". . . the kerygma . . . always has a value of salvation and fullness of life."12 The kerygma is a challenging message that can cause the listener to have to make difficult life decisions, as seen in the DC: . . . the proclamation of...

Evan Hershman. Jesus as Teacher in the Gospel of Mark: The Function of a Motif. LNTS 626.

Evan Hershman. <i>Jesus as Teacher in the Gospel of Mark: The Function of a Motif</i>. LNTS 626.

Gene L. Green. Vox Petri: A Theology of Peter.

Gene L. Green. <i>Vox Petri: A Theology of Peter</i>.

“Let the Children Come to Me…For unto Them, the Kingdom of God Belongs” Mk 10:13-16: The Pastoral Challenges of this Invitation in African Church Today

Africa is blessed with an overwhelming population of young people, who in the words of the African Synod Fathers, constitute its “numerical strength” but unfortunately, these have been kept in the cold, marginalized, exploited for selfish aims, manipulated and misled by political demagogues (Mbuy, 2001). Against this kind of backdrop the Gospel of Mark 10: 13-16 offer us a concrete, practical and pastoral way of welcoming the young people as Jesus did and giving them a sense of belonging. When I look back at some experiences I am touched by the attitude of Jesus when he said, ‘let the children come to me’… and then I ask, how can the Church be available and say the same, ‘let the young people come to me’? Many young people want to encounter the Lord through different forms of apostolate but maybe there are no serious youth apostolates or they are lazy to things of God or they had dreadful experiences of not being allowed to get near Jesus. Why? Perhaps, it is the attitudes of Jesus’ disciples. In most of our Churches is this not the common attitude of some of our pastors? But Jesus irrespective of what and who they are said “Bring the children to me.”