The Function of Military Language in the Feeding of the Five Thousand Narrative (Mark 6:30-44): a Narrative-Cognitive Study

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The Function of Military Language in the Feeding of the Five Thousand Narrative (Mark 6:30-44): a Narrative-Cognitive Study Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2020 The Function of Military Language in the Feeding of the Five Thousand Narrative (Mark 6:30-44): A Narrative-Cognitive Study Oleg Kostyuk Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Kostyuk, Oleg, "The Function of Military Language in the Feeding of the Five Thousand Narrative (Mark 6:30-44): A Narrative-Cognitive Study" (2020). Dissertations. 1737. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1737 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE FUNCTION OF MILITARY LANGUAGE IN THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND NARRATIVE (MARK 6:30–44): A NARRATIVE–COGNITIVE STUDY Name of researcher: Oleg Kostyuk Name and degree of faculty adviser: Thomas Shepherd, PhD, DrPH Date completed: August 2020 Some scholars argue that Jesus was a revolutionary messiah and he was no different than other Jewish revolutionaries who opposed imperial Rome. Others argue that Jesus was a pacifist and he was calling his contemporaries to repent from their nationalistic ambitions and warned them against putting their trust in their own military power. Surprisingly, the majority of proponents of both approaches do not detect military language in the feeding of the five thousand narrative. This study argues that in Mark the feeding of the five thousand narrative (Mark 6:30– 44) and its immediate context contain military language and present Jesus as a “warrior” leader but with a radical new twist. Jesus appears to be a “warrior” leader who mobilizes an army. But instead of leading his “soldiers” into war, he sends them out into a “battle” that is characterized by compassion. This study utilizes methodologies of narrative criticism and cognitive study, specifically the study of emotions, to determine the function of military language in the narrative. I combine the theories of Lisa Barrett and Martha Nussbaum and operate on the assumption that emotions are constructed evaluative judgments. I assert that the narrative-cognitive approach makes visible what Mark was trying to achieve by his use of military and emotive language in the narrative. This methodology brings to the fore a counter-cultural presentation of Jesus. This study reveals that the text contains Kulturkampf that subversively critiques concepts of power and suggests new means of “warfare.” The feeding of the five thousand narrative in Mark is written against the backdrop of the Greco-Roman and Jewish literary contexts. Jewish literature testifies about the anticipation of the warrior-leader, the Messiah, who would restore the glory of Israel and put an end to war by means of military conquest. Most notable voices of Greco-Roman literature, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and particularly the Aeneid, are also war-centered and present warrior heroes on their quests. Homer and Virgil present their heroes as shepherds, but they are strong and often hard-hearted. Mark, on the other hand, presents Jesus as a compassionate shepherd-leader. Mark’s presentation of Jesus is counter- cultural (a social construct) and it leads the reader of the narrative to an emotional response (an evaluative judgment)—compassion for people. The narrative prompts the reader to emulate the compassionate ministry of Jesus. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary THE FUNCTION OF MILITARY LANGUAGE IN THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND NARRATIVE (MARK 6:30–44): A NARRATIVE–COGNITIVE STUDY A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor in Philosophy by Oleg Kostyuk 2020 ©Copyright by Oleg V. Kostyuk 2020 All Rights Reserved ii THE FUNCTION OF MILITARY LANGUAGE IN THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND NARRATIVE (MARK 6:30–44): A NARRATIVE–COGNITIVE STUDY A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor in Philosophy by Oleg Kostyuk APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _____________________________ Faculty Adviser, ________________________________ Thomas R. Shepherd Director of PhD/ThD Religion Program Senior Research Professor John W. Reeve of New Testament _____________________________ ________________________________ Cedric Vine Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Associate Professor of New Testament Jiří Moskala _____________________________ Oliver Glanz Associate Professor of Old Testament _____________________________ John C. Peckham Professor of Theology and Christian Philosophy ________________________________ _____________________________ Date approved Rikki Watts Research Professor Alphacrucus College, Australia iii To my wise and loving wife, Julia, whose evaluative judgments guide me into the right path. To my daughter, Elise, whose gentle character and care for creation are an example of unparalleled compassion. To my daughter, Kate, whose humor and strength of character reconstruct my perception of the world. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of the Interpretation of the Feeding Narrative in Mark ............................... 3 Eschatological Focus ................................................................................... 4 Focus on Echoes of the Old Testament ....................................................... 8 Greco-Roman Focus .................................................................................. 14 Eucharistic Focus ....................................................................................... 16 Focus on Jesus’ Identity and His Mission ................................................. 17 Literary Methods and the Feeding Narrative ............................................................. 20 Summary .................................................................................................................... 23 Interpretation of Mark’s Gospel and Narrative Criticism .......................................... 26 Identifying the Dating of the Gospel of Mark ........................................... 28 Identifying the Provenance of the Gospel of Mark ................................... 30 Text of the Gospel of Mark ....................................................................... 34 Text of Mark and Other Texts ................................................................... 38 The Feeding of the Five Thousand and the Function of Military Language .............. 41 Narrative Studies and the Feeding Narrative ............................................................. 42 Cognitive Studies as an Aid to Narrative Studies ...................................................... 44 Cognitive Theories of Emotions ................................................................ 48 Statement of Problem .................................................................................................... 50 Purpose Statement ......................................................................................................... 50 Justification of the Study ............................................................................................... 50 Scope and Delimitations ................................................................................................ 51 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 52 Narrative Criticism ..................................................................................................... 53 Cognitive-Literary Studies ......................................................................................... 56 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................... 58 v CHAPTER II: MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, SECOND TEMPLE LITERATURE AND THE GOSPEL OF MARK ............................................................ 60 Warrior Messiah in the Old Testament and Related Texts ............................................ 61 Old Testament ......................................................................................................... 64 Genesis 3:15 ..................................................................................................... 64 Numbers 24:17–19 ........................................................................................... 65 2 Samuel 7:11–16 ............................................................................................. 66 Psalm 2 ............................................................................................................. 68 Psalm 110 ......................................................................................................... 69 Isaiah 8:22–9:7 ................................................................................................. 70 Ezekiel 34:23–24 .............................................................................................. 75
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