John's Transformation of Mark

John's Transformation of Mark brings together a cast of internationally recognised biblical scholars to investigate the relationship between the gospels of Mark and John. In a significant break with the prevailing view that the two gospels represent independent traditions, the contributors all argue that John both knew and used the earlier gospel. Drawing on recent analytical categories such as social memory, 'secondary orality,' or 'relecture,' and ancient literary genres such as 'rewritten Bible' and bioi, the central questions that drive this volume focus on how John used Mark, whether we should speak of 'dependence,' 'familiarity with,' or 'reception,' and whether John intended his work to be a supplement or a replacement of Mark. Together these chapters mount a strong case for a reassessment of one of the key tenets of modern biblical criticism, and open up significant new avenues for further research.

Table of Contents:
Preface Abbreviations Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Mark and John in the History of Research – Harold Attridge, Yale Divinity School, USA 3. The Johannine 'Relecture' of Mark - Jean Zumstein, University of Zurich, Switzerland 4. John's Critical Inheritance of Prior Tradition: A Social Memory Approach - Chris Keith, St Mary's University Twickenham, UK 5. John's 'Rewriting' of Mark: Some Methodological Considerations – Catrin Williams, University of Wales, Trinity St Davids, UK 6. The Use of Sources by Classical Authors - George Parsenios, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA 7. John's Use of Matthean/Lukan Redaction of Mark – Mark Goodacre, Duke University, USA 8. John and the Construction of History - Eve-Marie Becker, Aarhus University, Denmark 9. Macro-Genre of Mark/John: Beginnings - Christina Hoegen-Rohls, University of Münster, Germany 10. No One Has Ever Seen God: The Revelatory Import of the Fourth Gospel's Use of Mark in John 1:19-34 - Steve Hunt, Gordon College, USA 11. John the Baptist in Mark and John – To be Confirmed, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 12. How John 'Rewrites' Mark as Seen in John 5:1-18 - Gilbert Van Belle, KU Leuven, Belgium 13. Eschatology in Mark and John: Aspects of a Comparison - Jörg Frey, University of Zurich, Switzerland 14. The Ethical Concepts in Mark and John: a Comparative Approach - Oda Wischmeyer, Erlangen University, Germany 15. Speeches in Mark and John - Susanne Luther, University of Mainz, Germany 16. Metalepsis in Mark, John, and Ancient Narrative - Kasper Bro Larsen, Aarhus University, Denmark 17. The Plot to Kill Jesus in Mark and John: Reflections on the Literary Relationship Between two Early Christian Theological Lives of Jesus based on a Detail in the Narrative Plot - Michael Labahn, University of Halle, Germany 18. Mark, John and the Hypothetical 'Pre-Markan Passion Narrative' – Helen Bond, University of Edinburgh, UK Indexes

About the Author :
Eve-Marie Becker is Professor in the Department of Culture and Society at Aarhus University, Denmark Helen K. Bond is Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh, UK Catrin H. Williams is Reader in New Testament Studies at the University of Wales Trinity St David, UK

Review :
A judicious study on the relationship of Mark and John. By evaluating the literary techniques and theological motifs that guided John in his reception of Mark, this collection of essays opens new insights and sets the agenda for the future. It is no longer the old question of whether John knew the Gospel of Mark, but how he used it. This book will be welcomed by all theologians for a deeper understanding of transfer processes in early Christianity. John's Transformation of Mark is a timely volume, amassing a wide variety of scholars to reflect anew on the question of John's relationship to the First Gospel. This collection of essays boasts contributions from notable Gospel scholars who offer both large- and small-scale comparisons, all concluding John does indeed transform Mark's Gospel in forming its own. Bringing these essays together in one place, Becker, Bond, and Williams have crafted a must have volume for Gospel scholars and students! A group of world-leading scholars gather to compare the Gospels of Mark and John and unexpectedly find unanimous agreement that John has used and transformed Mark! This excellent collection of their fresh analyses of specific passages, episodes and themes, complemented by methodological studies using intertextuality, social memory and analogies within ancient literature, will prove indispensable for research on the Gospels. It constitutes another major milestone in the shift of the current scholarly consensus to the view that, though not of the same type as the relation among the Synoptic Gospels, there is indeed a literary connection between John and Mark.