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Subject: Kata Markon

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  • From: "Rikki E. Watts" <rwatts AT interchange.ubc.ca>
  • To: Kata Markon <gmark AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark
  • Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 14:22:33 -0800


Peter,

Always a great pleasure. Great to have you around keeping tabs on folk like
me. Yes, Sawyer's book is very interesting. I've only dipped into it, but
I'd like one day to take a closer look at how Isaiah was generally read by
the (generic?) Fathers (point well taken) vis-à-vis various Jewish
traditions. Oden and Hall are the editors of the Ancient Christian
Commentary Series (by Eerdmans). You are right in that there are not that
many specific commentaries on Mark (I no longer have my original post, but I
recall using an adjective like "various" or something as a way of indicating
that the material was not actually direct commentary in the narrow sense of
the word). You are right of course in that it includes a range of snippets
from sermons, treatises of various kinds, etc.

Take good care.. (feel like offering anything on the important of Bailey's
(and I guess Downing's) work on oral tradition for the Synoptic problem?
This sounds like it's right down your alley)

All the best
Rikk

on 9/2/01 10:10 am, Peter M. Head at pmh15 AT cam.ac.uk wrote:

> Dear Rikk,
>
> Many thanks for your response to my cheeky question in a previous post. I'm
> pleased to read your "pertinent considerations". A few random thoughts.
>
> A. I wouldn't underestimate the role of Isaiah (albeit understood in a
> christianized way via the Greek version) for many fathers. Sawyer's The
> Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the history of Christianity (CUP, 1996) is
> interesting here (doubtless there would be value in a work giving attention
> to the patristic period alone [possibly there already is such a
> monograph]). But I take your general point, that we wouldn't expect them to
> be particularly aware of a second temple Jewish reading featuring the New
> Exodus hope (however nice it would be to find it if it was there!). In any
> case generalising about "the fathers" and what they would have read is
> probably only as useful as generalising about people from Melbourne and
> what they would agree about.
>
> B. I agree entirely that allusion to Isaiah is far far more plausible than
> the hypothesis of Homeric mimesis. (IMHOATSOTGNHSTBY :)
>
> C. I am interested in your note re Oden and Hall, but I haven't seen this
> book as yet. I hope they document their assertion that "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)), as I'd quite like to see the evidence behind it. I am also
> looking forward to figuring out where 260 pages of ancient commentary on
> Mark come from (considering the fact that there are no ancient commentaries
> on Mark). Presumably from isolated comments or topical or thematic sermons.
> Hmmm.
>
> Anyway, it's fun to chat after all these years
>
> love and kisses

(PS as this is an open list, perhaps we should be a little more discreet
:-).
> 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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