Kata Markon

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

> Hi
>
> I'm doing some work at the moment on the Greek of Mark's Gospel - what's
it
> really like stylistically, what scholars have made of it over the years...
that
> sort of thing.
>
> Do any books spring to people's minds - obviously I think I have looked at
the
> basics, and more, but I'd be interested to hear what people think of.

I can think of two that will really be of some help:

1.  United Bible Societies, Greek New Testament.

2.  Aland, Kurt, ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, ninth edition (Stuttgart:
German Bible Society, 1989).

Normally Mark is compared with the "best" of Ancient Greek literature - and
judged to be lacking in "high" literary prowess.  There are many reasons why
this is the case, including that Mark is written in a Creole dialect of
koine Greek (includes many Latinisms and Jewish words, phrases and the like)
and is prose not verse.  But since the rise of literary critical
methodologies within Biblical Studies, Mark has become an object of
increasing interest...and fear.  Mark's story-telling ability appears
profound.  Narrative criticism and reader-response criticism on Mark has
turned up some interesting results.  Mark 16:8 is a case in point: if Mark's
gospel ends at 16:8, then Mark's gospel is a narrative about a story that
was never told, and that ends in a serio-comical irony.  What is Mark's
style?  If one uses "storytelling ability" as the benchmark, then Mark is
perhaps comparable to the Homeric epics, given both the gravity of its
subject matter, and in particular, the way it was told / narrated
(beginning, middle, and *ending*).

Regards,

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