Insight as a Characteristic of S/spirit in the Gospel of Mark: Spirit and Suffering as the Way of Insight in Mark’s Gospel

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-38
Author(s):  
Blaine Charette
Keyword(s):  
Gospel Of Mark ◽  
The Way

scholarly journals Mark, the Gospel of the suffering Son of Man: An encouragement directed to a despondent religious minority in the city of Rome

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
F.P. Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Gospel Of Mark ◽  
Good News ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Son Of Man ◽  
Peter The Great ◽  
Great Leader ◽  
The Way

In his narrative the author of this Gospel starkly emphasizes the humiliation and suffering of Jesus as the Son of Man (i.a. 10:45). In doing so, Mark emphasizes that Jesus’ way to be the Christ is the way of suffering. In several instances Mark describes Jesus’ disciples’ ignorance of this fact. Special focus is placed on the ignorance of Peter when confessing Jesus as the Christ. The point of departure for this article is that the Gospel of Mark was written to a specific believing community. It is argued that Rome, rather than Syria or Galilee, most probably was the Sitz im Leben and reason for the second Gospel. Furthermore it is reasoned that the context of Rome provides a relevant hermeneutical key to the understanding of the text of this Gospel. Seen from this perspective, Mark purposefully emphasized the humiliation and suffering of Jesus on his way to glory in order to encourage his despondent readers during or directly after the persecution in the days of Nero 64 CE. Evidence from tradition has indicated that Peter, the great leader of the Christian community in Rome, died as a martyr. This left the Christians in Rome without a leader, fearful and discouraged. The Gospel displays evidence of a Petrine eyewitness account that implies a close link between this apostle and Mark. Although at first Peter did not realize the necessity for Jesus to suffer, the Gospel of Mark clearly explains it with its focus on the passion narrative. Jesus had to walk the way of suffering. In Mark the word “way” is used in a significant manner to indicate that Jesus’ via dolorosa had implications for Peter and still has implications for all those who follow Him by confessing Him as the Christ. Christians are called to follow in his footsteps with suffering and endurance. Accordingly, Mark adds a paradoxical connotation to the term “Gospel”. “Gospel” is the good news of the salvation in Jesus. This message, however, is also concomitant with suffering and even the loss of life.

Eudocia’s Homeric Cento and the Woman Anointing Jesus

2021 ◽  
pp. 211-227
Author(s):  
Karl Olav Sandnes
Keyword(s):  
Gospel Of Mark ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Female Authority ◽  
The One ◽  
The Way

This chapter moves forward in time to look at the way precedents of women’s leadership could be used later, here in the work of the estranged wife of the emperor Theodosius II, Eudocia. In ‘Eudocia’s Homeric Cento and the Woman Anointing Jesus—An Example of Female Authority’, the author identifies how the woman of Bethany in the Gospel of Mark is praised in words taken from Achilles, a most prominent figure of manly honour in the Iliad. However, the honour for which she is praised remains within the boundaries of a proper, submissive woman. This duality corresponds to how Eudocia portrays herself in her preface to the Homeric Cento. On the one hand, she improved upon Patricius’ poem, presenting a better poem in style as well as content. She demonstrated her superiority. Her superiority was, however, coupled with restrictions implied in her being a woman. It seems, therefore, that Eudocia has inscribed her own dual authority of both superior and woman into her interpretation of the woman of Bethany.

scholarly journals A transfiguração do caminho. Leitura de Mc 9,2-13 a partir da sua instância comunicativa

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (253) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Massimo Grilli
Keyword(s):  
Gospel Of Mark ◽  
Communicative Function ◽  
Specific Reading ◽  
History Of ◽  
Narrative Context ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Literary Devices ◽  
Basic Content ◽  
The Way

O relato da transfiguração de Jesus no Evangelho de Marcos (9,2-13) é aqui abordado a partir da sua função comunicativa. O Autor, depois de apresentar o modo como o leitor é construído na primeira parte do Evangelho (Mc 1,1–8,26), analisa o contexto narrativo em que está situado o relato da transfiguração (8,27–10,52) e, finalmente, propõe uma leitura do texto (Mc 9,2-13). O estudo realça sobretudo o modo como o autor bíblico entreteceu certos esquemas literários muito difundidos, e o modo como foram reeditados e colocados ao serviço de uma comunicação que tem por conteúdo fundamental a identidade de Jesus e o seu destino de sofrimento. O leitor é convidado a ler o evento não sob a perspectiva de “o que” aconteceu, mas, sobretudo, de acordo com o “significado” de tudo o que está prestes a acontecer. Nesta passagem do Evangelho, após dar-se conta de que o caminho de Jesus e dos seus seguidores se identifica com o caminho da cruz (Mc 8,31–9,1), o leitor vai poder conhecer o poder que Deus tem de transfigurar o caminho da cruz em caminho de ressurreição e de vida. Em si mesmo, o evento da transfiguração oferece ao leitor a chave de interpretação dos fatos que estão para acontecer na história de Jesus e, conseqüentemente, na história de todos os fiéis.Abstract: The account of Jesus’ transfiguration in the Gospel of Mark (9:2-13) is approached from its communicative function. Having presented how thereaderisbuiltinthefirstpartofthisGospel(Mk.1:1-8:26)theauthor analyzes the narrative context in which the account of the Transfiguration is inserted (8:27 – 10:52) and he finally proposes the specific reading of the text (Mk 9:2-13). Above all, the study helps us to perceive how the Biblical author mixed some well-known literary devices, how he re-edited them and placed them at the service of a communication that has as its basic content the identity of Jesus and the fact that His fate is one of suffering. The reader is invited to read the event, not so much by focusing on “what really happened”, but rather on the “meaning” of the events about to take place. Having realized that the path of Jesus and His followers entails the cross (Mk 8:32-9:1), the reader will be able to realize that God has the power to transfigure the way of the cross into a way of resurrection and of life. In itself, the transfiguration event offers the interpretative key for the reader to understand the facts about to happen in the history of Jesus and, consequently, in the history of all believers.

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