The Rhetoric of Characterization of God, Jesus, and Jesus' Disciples in the Gospel of Mark (The Library of New Testament Studies)

This study develops a method for analyzing the semantic and narrative rhetoric of repetition and the narrative rhetoric and function of characterization and applies this method in studies of the characterization of God, Jesus, and JesusGÇÖ disciples in the Gospel of Mark. The studies of characterization distinguish beliefs that are assumed for the audience from beliefs that the narration cultivates for the audience, identifies the rhetorical relationships and organization of cultivated beliefs, and clarifies the contribution of each characterGÇÖs portrayal to the overall narrative development of Mark. The study then considers the contribution of the characterization of the women at the tomb to the portrayal of JesusGÇÖ disciples and narrative developments. A concluding inquiry investigates the possible applications of the studies of characterization for determining the rhetorical exigency of the narration and for formulating statements of MarkGÇÖs proposed theology.

Paul Danove is Professor of New Testament Studies at Villanova University, USA.

Chris Keith is Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, Norway. He is the author of The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John and the Literacy of Jesus, a winner of the 2010 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise, and Jesus' Literacy: Scribal Culture and the Teacher from Galilee. He is also the co-editor of Jesus among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels, and was recently named a 2012 Society of Biblical Literature Regional Scholar.