Kata Markon

["George Young" <gwyoung AT morgan.ucs.mun.ca>]

Philip Lewis wrote:

> Several authorities have, specifically LaGrange, have identified the
Walking
> on Water tradition (less vs.52) as a resurrection appearance.  As such,
the
> "phantasm" is the figure of the Risen Lord, according to the tradition,
whom
> the disciples assume was dead! That is to say, Mark had sources to which
he
> turned for his material.  One was the resurrection appearance in a Passion
> Source which we find here.  Mark had a USE for the story namely, to
present
> Jesus as the Angelos who goes before us, just as the Angelos of Exodus
went
> before Israel to lead them to the place God had prepared for them.  This
> "mythical role", Mark is saying, was beyond the understanding of the
> disciples.  They "could not understand about the loaves," thus tying the
> apparition account with the Bread Theme Mark is developing.

This is a fascinating suggestion that has always piqued my interest.  The
argument was presented anew by Patrick D. Madden in his recently published
PhD dissertation _Jesus Walking on the Sea_(1997), and the "mythical role"
which you cite seems to have parallels with Rudolf Otto's "phantom-like
apparitio" ("Charismatic 'Apparitio': Christ's Walking on the Sea" in _The
Kingdom of God and the son of Man, 1938).  However, one objection to viewing
the sea-walking narrative as a 'displaced resurrection appearance' is the
pre-gospel  connection to the feeding of the five thousand - something
highlighted by the narrators aside in v.52 - which seems to link the
sea-walk with Jesus' pre-death ministry.  If you don't mind, how would you
respond to this pre-gospel connection?  (NB: by 'pre-gospel' I mean prior to
canonical Mark)

George W. Young, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Queen's College Faculty of Theology
210 Prince Philip Drive
St. John's  NF
CANADA   A1B 3R6
Tel. (709) 753-0116
Fax. (709) 753-1214
email: gwyoung AT morgan.ucs.mun.ca