Reopening the Word Reading Mark as Theology in the Context of Early Judaism

by Sabin, Marie Noonan

• ISBN13: 9780195143591
• ISBN10: 0195143590
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-02-28
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book asks: How might the earliest gospel have been heard by those first followers of Jesus who were religious Jews? Assuming that the earliest Jesus traditions took their shape from forms familiar to Judaism, Sabin sets the composition of Mark in the context of the theological discourse of first-century Judaism. In that context, she notes, all theology was biblical. It took the form of an exchange between current events and Scripture: contemporary persons and happenings were understood through the lens of the Hebrew Bible, while at the same time, the biblical word was reopened--that is, reinterpreted--so as to reveal its relevance to the present faith-community. Applying this kind of compositional process to the Gospel of Mark, Sabin uncovers a fresh reading of the seed, fig tree, and vineyard parables; of the various Temple scenes; of the foolish disciples and the wise women; and of the controversial ending. She highlights the results of her findings by juxtaposing them with interpretations of the same passages given by various church fathers such as Origen, Irenaeus, and Bede, as well as by readings from the twentieth century. The results are provocative. Sabin sees Mark as an original theologian shaping his material out of two primary Jewish traditions: the Wisdom traditions, with their emphasis on God's presence in daily life, and Creation theology, which imagined the End Time not as a catastrophe but as a return to the Garden. She thus offers a new way of understanding Mark's use of Scripture, his eschatology, and his presentation of Jesus. In conclusion, she argues that retrieving Mark's voice in the context of Early Judaism brings with it insights much needed in our day: of God's presence in the ordinary; of God's image reflected in female as well as male; of watchfulness as the way of wisdom; of God's revelation as ongoing.

Table of Contents

The Theological Context of Mark	3	(31)
Searching for the Origins of Mark	3	(9)
Retrieving the Jewish Context	12	(11)
Connecting With Christian Tradition	23	(6)
Dialoguing With the Text	29	(3)
Rereading Mark as Theology in the Context of Early Judaism	32	(2)
Scripture Interpreting Scripture: Reopening the Word	34	(18)
The Opening Verse	34	(5)
The Seed Parables	39	(13)
Scripture Intersecting History: Mark's Eschatology	52	(21)
The Outer Frame of Chapter 13	53	(8)
The Inner Frame of Chapter 13	61	(3)
''The Desolating Sacrilege``: The Core Evil	64	(4)
Images of Hope	68	(3)
Summary	71	(2)
From the Temple to the Cross: An Exegetical Journey	73	(38)
The Temple, the Fig Tree, and the Vineyard	73	(17)
The Exegetical Debates in the Temple	90	(13)
From False Witness to Revelation in the Temple	103	(5)
Summary	108	(3)
The Identity of the Markan Jesus: A Mashal	111	(60)
Jesus as ``the Messiah''	111	(12)
Jesus as ``the Beloved Son''	123	(11)
Jesus as ``the Son of Man''	134	(11)
Jesus as ``Son of David'' and ``Son of Mary''	145	(3)
Jesus as ``Wisdom''	148	(23)
The Discipleship of Wisdom: A Process of Transformation	171	(33)
The Foolish Disciples	172	(10)
The Disciples' Potential for Transformation	182	(3)
Women Transformed: The Ending of Mark Is the Beginning of Wisdom	185	(19)
The Unending Revelation: Mark 16:8 as a Theological Choice	204	(21)
The Spurious Ending	204	(1)
The Textual Evidence for Mark 16:8	205	(4)
The Canonical Argument for Mark 16:8	209	(2)
How Mark 16:8 Fits the Literary Shape of Mark's Gospel	211	(3)
16:8 Mark's Theological Voice	214	(8)
Conclusion	222	(3)
Notes	225	(38)
Bibliography	263	(14)
Index of Ancient Texts	277	(6)
Index of Authors and Subjects	283