Mark at the Threshold WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd i 3/26/2008 6:57:46 PM Biblical Interpretation Series Editors R. Alan Culpepper Ellen van Wolde Associate Editors David E. Orton Rolf Rendtorff Editorial Advisory Board Janice Capel Anderson – Phyllis A. Bird Erhard Blum – Werner H. Kelber Ekkehard W. Stegemann – Vincent L. Wimbush Jean Zumstein VOLUME 95 WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd ii 3/26/2008 6:57:50 PM Mark at the Threshold Applying Bakhtinian Categories to Markan Characterisation By Geoff R. Webb LEIDEN • BOSTON 2008 WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd iii 3/26/2008 6:57:50 PM This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Webb, Geoff R. Mark at the threshold : applying Bakhtinian categories to Markan characterisation / by Geoff R. Webb. p. cm. — (Biblical interpretation series ; v. 95) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-16774-2 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Bible. N.T. Mark—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bakhtin, M.M. (Mikhail Mikhailovich), 1895–1975. I. Title. II. Series. BS2585.52.W43 2008 226.3’066—dc22 2008009736 ISSN 0928-0731 ISBN 978 90 04 16774 2 Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd iv 3/26/2008 6:57:50 PM CONTENTS Acknowledgments ....................................................................... ix Abbreviations .............................................................................. xi Introduction ................................................................................ 1 Chapter One Bakhtinian Categories—Dialogue, Genre-Memory, Chronotope and Carnival ........................... 19 Bakhtin, Dialogue & Mark ..................................................... 19 First-level dialogue .............................................................. 19 Second-level dialogue ......................................................... 21 Third-level dialogue ............................................................ 30 Bakhtin, Genre-Memory & Mark .......................................... 37 Bakhtin, Chronotope & Mark ................................................ 43 Multi-level dialogue and synchronic and diachronic approaches ...................................................................... 51 Bakhtin, Carnival & Mark ..................................................... 52 The wider context—carnivalesque series and their impact ............................................................................. 63 Application of Bakhtinian Categories to Mark ..................... 68 Chapter Two ‘Adventure’ Chronotope and Comic Carnival in Mark 1–8 ................................................................................ 71 The ‘Adventure’ Chronotope ................................................. 71 Comic Carnival and the Worst Kept Secret ......................... 77 Bakhtin and the Cleansed Leper (Mark 1:40–45) ................. 80 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 80 Character-zones .................................................................. 81 Jesus and the leper .......................................................... 82 Priests .............................................................................. 88 Signifi cance of the dialogical ‘voices’ ................................ 89 Bakhtin and the Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1–20) ........... 90 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 90 Character-zones .................................................................. 91 Disciples .......................................................................... 91 Jesus ................................................................................. 92 WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd v 3/26/2008 6:57:50 PM vi contents Gerasene demoniac ........................................................ 93 Unclean spirits (the Legion) ............................................ 94 Swineherds and other ‘crowd’ members ........................ 96 Signifi cance of the dialogical ‘voices’ ................................ 97 Bakhtin and the SyroPhoenecian woman (Mark 7:24–30) ... 98 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 98 Character-zones .................................................................. 99 The daughter .................................................................. 99 The SyroPhoenecian woman and Jesus ......................... 99 Signifi cance of the dialogical ‘voices’ .................................... 105 Chapter Three ‘Threshold’ chronotope and comic carnival in Mark 6:14–29 and 16:1–8 ................................................. 107 Bakhtin, Threshold & Mark ................................................... 107 Bakhtin and the Beheaded Baptizer (Mark 6:14–29) ............ 109 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 109 Character-zones .................................................................. 111 Minor characters ............................................................ 112 The disciples ................................................................... 114 Jesus ................................................................................. 116 The Baptizer ................................................................... 122 Herod .............................................................................. 126 Herodias—the daughter—Herod ................................... 130 Signifi cance of dialogical ‘voices’ ....................................... 135 Bakhtin and the Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1–8a) ..................... 136 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 137 Character-zones .................................................................. 139 The young man .............................................................. 139 The women ..................................................................... 142 Signifi cance of dialogical ‘voices’ ....................................... 148 Chapter Four ‘Road’ Chronotope and Comic Carnival in Mark 8–10 .............................................................................. 151 Bakhtin and the ‘Road’ Section of Mark .............................. 151 Bakhtin and the Transfi gured Jesus (Mark 9:2–8) ................. 155 Dialogue with the text ............................................................ 156 Character-zones .................................................................. 157 Jesus ................................................................................. 157 Elijah and Moses ............................................................ 160 Peter, James and John ..................................................... 161 WEBB_f1_i-xii.indd vi 3/26/2008 6:57:50 PM contents vii The divine ‘voice’ ........................................................... 165 Signifi cance of the dialogical ‘voices’ ................................ 167 Bakhtin and the Blind Disciples (Mark 10:32–52) ................ 167 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 169 Character-zones .................................................................. 169 Jesus ................................................................................. 170 Other disciples ................................................................ 172 Followers .......................................................................... 172 James and John ............................................................... 173 Bartimaeus ...................................................................... 174 Crowd .................................................................................. 178 Signifi cance of the dialogical ‘voices’ ................................ 178 Chapter Five “Threshold” Chronotope and Tragic Carnival in Mark 14:43–15:41 .............................................................. 181 Tragic Carnival and the Passion Narrative ........................... 181 Bakhtin and Jesus’ Betrayal, Trial and Crucifi xion (Mark 14:43–15:41) ............................................................. 183 Dialogue with the text ........................................................ 183 Character-zones .................................................................. 185 Jesus ................................................................................. 185 The disciples ................................................................... 193 The betrayer ................................................................... 195 Arresting ‘crowd’ ............................................................. 199 The chief priest’s servant and the Gethsemane bystander ..................................................................... 200 The naked young man ..................................................