Kata Markon

["Rikki E. Watts" <rwatts AT interchange.ubc.ca>]

Peter,

Greetings!  Good to hear from you.  (I was going to leave this thread alone
after my last post, but it would be rude not to respond to a good friend)

Excellent question (as always), but I think there are some pertinent
considerations.

1. Worldview: re Isaiah's new exodus and Mark, I think we have to be careful
not to compare apples and oranges.  As intimated in my earlier posts, while
Dennis and I in our different ways both argue for the importance of social
formation I am not arguing that Isaiah was in the blood of the Fathers, that
imitation of Isaiah was part and parcel of their education, or that Isaiah's
eschatological vision shaped their future expectations or identity.  Quite
the contrary, while the Isaianic hope exercised a strong influence over
Jewish self-awareness, it is doubtful to say the least that the same
obtained for the Fathers.  The example involving "four score and seven years
ago" (in the section on Ideology in my book) would also make this point--so
no, given that I've never argued that Isaiah shaped Graeco-roman ideology,
one ought not be surprised that I did not apply "this particular test" to my
reading of Mark and if it was I'd expect it not to work. On the other hand,
Homer is the Fathers' material and according to Dennis ubiquitous in their
educational and literary experience.  I would therefore expect that they
would pick up on Homeric allusions.

2. Literary indicators: I think I can point to a preponderance of direct
citations, numerous allusions (including snatches of text), conceptual
parallels, and a coherent pattern of application which seem to be the
hallmark of Marcan literary borrowing (and do pardon me for saying this, but
given the reviews of the book, I don't think I'm alone in seeing this).  My
question is why don't we see these kind of Marcan literary indications for
Homer?  

3. Granted, Mark is surely not the favorite of the Fathers, yet he is not
entirely passed over; Oden and Hall note "we find early Christian texts
quoting the Gospel of Mark in literature originating in every locale of the
early church's missionary and pastoral activity" (MARK, ACCS, vol 2, xxviii)
and then go on for 260 pages of varied forms of ancient commentary on Mark.
But though there are several references to Isaiah, there are none to Homer.
Given that they know Homer (as per the references in the AN Fathers), and
that for McDonald Homer is in their blood etc., I think my second question
still stands: why does no one seem to notice?  To say Mark did it so badly
that no one noticed does not sound all that different from saying he didn't
do it all.

Finally, with due respect to Dennis, I'm not sure his characterization of
responses is entirely accurate.  Hock (NT) wrote warmly of his work, but
Rabel (Classics) was rather less enthusiastic.

Rikk


on 6/2/01 10:23 am, Peter M. Head at pmh15 AT cam.ac.uk wrote:

> Prof. Watts has wondered several times why, if the purported Homeric
> allusions actually existed, they were not noted by any church fathers.
> Recently he wrote:
>> Given that allusions are highly
>> subjective, it might be a good thing to establish some criteria.  I am
>> suggesting one: let's ask others to adjudicate for us to see if we are
>> seeing things or not.  And who would be better equipped to help us if not
>> Mark's contemporaries?  It would have helped enormously if you could cite
>> just one single ancient in support-but alas.  To repeat, that not a single
>> ancient author (for or against) saw the putative allusions must surely 
>> raise
>> doubts as to whether your/MacDonald's garden and hence the explanation you
>> provide for it actually exists.
> 
> Dear Rikk,
> 
> Isn't this very thing particularly difficult for Mark, if not impossible,
> in view of the paucity of early comments on Mark? For example, I haven't
> found the theme of Isaiah's New Exodus to be noted very much (if ever?)
> among church fathers, but we know how pervasively that has influenced
> Mark's presentation! (All the same I can't find the section of your book
> where you apply this particular test to your theory.).
> 
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Pete
> 
> 
> Dr. Peter M. Head
> Tyndale House
> 36 Selwyn Gardens
> Cambridge CB3 9BA
> Tel: 01223 566607
> Fax: 01223 566608
> email: pmh15 AT cam.ac.uk
> 
> 
> 
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