Kata Markon

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

> > If 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.
> Can you tell me more about this?

The question over 'style' is sometimes addressed, indirectly, in discussions
about provenance.  That Mark is written in Koine Greek is obvious, but his
inclusion of many Latinisms and Aramaic words, phrases (usually accompanied
by translations in the text) , quotes from the LXX...this baffles scholars
when it comes to issues of origin.  But this is what I mean by "Creole" -
the texture of Mark's narrative is of a mixed and broken quality (similar to
the ancient Menippean satires, except for verse).  Of course, the patristic
traditions behind Mark's provenance are useless in this matter, as they are
many, varied, and contradictory.  In matters of style, however, the earliest
Christian witness on Mark (papias) is that Mark's gospel was considered
problematic (i.e., episodes were either out of order, missing, or
falsified).  Hippolytus, quoting Marcion, states that Mark's narrative hand
was 'crooked' or 'twisted'  - a metaphorical comment, perhaps, on Mark's
writing style and/or  ideology/theology.

> > 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*).
> I'm actually pursuing this avenue at the moment.  Has there been much work
done
> on Mark's links with the Homeric Epics?  I've read MacDonald, but what
else is
> of use?

MacDonald's book is, I think, a pioneering work in this regard.  He
published an earlier article entitled "Secrecy and Recognitions in the
Odyssey and Mark" in _Ancient Fiction and Early Jewish Christian Narrative
(SBL Symposium Series, 1998)_.  "Style" is, of course, a very broad term.
If you are simply looking for stylistic details relating to 'grammar' and
the like, I belive C.F.D. Moule has a book entitles _A Grammar of New
Testament Greek_ wherein he devotes an entire chapter (ch. 2) on "The Style
of Mark."  This is helpful but soon becomes boring.  This is why I suggested
that "style" also include storytelling ability - How is the story told?
With what sort of 'style'?

Hope this helps,


George W. Young, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Queen's College
St. John's, NF
A1B 3R6
Tel.  709/753/0116
Fax. 709/753/1214
email: gwyoung AT morgan.ucs.mun.ca