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Mark's Audience: The Literary and Social Setting of Mark 4.11-12

Hardback

Main Details

Title Mark's Audience: The Literary and Social Setting of Mark 4.11-12
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Mary Ann Beavis
SeriesBloomsbury Academic Collections: Biblical Studies
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreBiblical studies
ISBN/Barcode 9781474231237
ClassificationsDewey:226.306
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)

Publishing Details

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publication Date 29 January 2015
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Mark 4.11-12, the 'parable theory' passage, has probably been commented upon more often than any other section of Mark's Gospel. The saying has usually been interpreted as an authentic utterance of Jesus, which was subsequently misunderstood and misinterpreted by early Christians - including the evangelist Mark. The precise meaning of the mystery logion in the ministry of Jesus is notoriously elusive, since we have no information about the context in which it was spoken, or about the audience to which it was addressed. Much more, however, can be known about the interpretative context of the logion in Mark, since it is surrounded by passages that seem to echo the mystery saying. This study examines the complex web of literary relationships between Mark 4.11-12 and the Gospel as a whole. Dr Beavis's fresh interpretation is unusual in that she undertakes to interpret the Gospel of Mark, as far as possible, from the point of view of its 'historical' readers/audience. Chapters 1 and 2 of the book attempt to describe the 'community' for which the Gospel was written, and in the rest of the book, this socio-cultural setting is used to investigate the meaning of the mystery saying for the original readers/hearers of Mark.

Author Biography

Mary Ann Beavis is Professor of Religion and Culture at St. Thomas More College, Canada.