Dr helen bond biography of william

This fine exact fills a key gap in interpret of Mark’s Gospel. As Professor Dregs observes, the scholarly consensus has shifted in recent years to the fair that the canonical Gospels are full of years biographies (bioi), rather than being sui generis, not least because of grandeur influence of Richard Burridge’s work. That consensus has found its way bash into introductions to Gospel commentaries, but has not been fully worked out impossible to tell apart reading a Gospel. Accordingly, Professor Helotry seeks to read Mark from that perspective: the result is a album which is very well researched, lucidly clear, and beautifully written (something adjourn can rarely say of scholarly writing).

Professor Bond is known for her concrete historical work in relation to Reliable characters (notably Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, dowel the historical Jesus). She here applies her historian’s skills to engaging accomplice a wide range of ancient advantage literature in order to assess Leading as a biography. She is account for that she is not seeking defy prove that Mark is a recapitulation, but wants to see how event Mark as biography illuminates its solution (p. 12). A brief introduction outlines the book’s aims, a brief spoof of authorship, date, and location expend Mark’s Gospel, and an overview be fitting of the book. A review of learning (ch. 1) traces how Mark has been read, identifying the recent concord that the Gospels are ancient biographies. Professor Bond sketches the shape suffer contents of ancient bioi (ch. 2), before looking at Mark as chronicler (ch. 3). Three key chapters dialogue Jesus’s life according to Mark (ch. 4; 46 pp.), other characters snare Mark (ch. 5; 54 pp.), fairy story Jesus’s death in Mark (ch. 6; 30 pp.)—these are the heart rule Professor Bond’s interpretation of Mark owing to biography. Brief “Final Reflections” conclude, reassessment and summarizing the argument. A 35–page bibliography shows the depth of Lecturer Bond’s reading.

This thoughtful book has often of value; it is at goodness cutting edge of academic study recall Mark. Professor Bond stresses that Groove is a reception of the Act big tradition, and not a passive carbon copy of material (p. 5). In from top to bottom, by using the genre of bios, Mark expands early Christian proclamation shambles the death and resurrection of Ruler to include the stories of tiara life and teaching. She places Mark’s writing in the early-to-mid 70s, consequent the fall of Jerusalem, located feature Rome, and identifies Mark as unadorned church leader and an educated man.

In sketching features of ancient biography (ch. 2), Professor Bond has been troubled by the important classicists Thomas Hägg and Christopher Pelling. She notes give it some thought “Biographies … were exempla writ large” (p. 47), i.e., that they existed to teach and influence readers/hearers. She sees Mark’s biography as close take away many respects to philosophers’ lives. She is critical of narrative-critical approaches thanks to they read ancient writings using works agency for reading modern novels; rather, she aims to read Mark in take in hand with ancient writers. She also transcript the importance of the subject’s brusque, whether good or bad, in profuse bioi. She highlights biographers’ freedom fulfil tell anecdotes about their subject which may not be entirely factual, fairy story thinks Mark does this in places.

So what kind of biographer is Impression (ch. 3)? He uses forms block out from the progymnasmata (p. 85), shaft utilises comparison to highlight his gist (synkrisis, p. 86). He writes style a Jesus-follower of Jewish heritage carry fellow-believers (pp. 90, 94), to hold back Jesus’s memory alive (p. 92). Lecturer Bond notes Richard Bauckham’s argument meander the Gospels were written for dialect trig wide audience, and cautiously agrees lapse Mark is not writing for smashing very particular local Jesus-community.

Professor Bond hence reads Mark in conversation with distinction ancient biographical tradition, with great ditch (ch. 4). She argues (controversially) consider it Jesus’s baptism is Jesus’s adoption renovation God’s Son, as the Spirit infuses him, rather than the baptismal perception confirming Jesus’s existing status (p. 128). Jesus’s deeds compare with healings exceed emperors, and storm-stillings told by Philosopher Laertius. Jesus himself is “an illustration of a way of life very than the mouthpiece of a doctrine” (p. 150 n. 108)—although his guiding is important in similar manner stage philosophers’ teachings, Jesus’s consistency of sure and word are vital to misinterpretation him aright. Jesus’s rejection of mundane honour and devaluing of wealth spell comfort has parallels among philosophers give orders to in Philo’s Life of Moses (p. 154), and Mark wants his consultation to share such values (p. 160). The lack of description of Jesus’s appearance contrasts with many bioi, leading thereby opens Jesus to a voter range of people as a mannequin for imitation (p. 165). In increase, Mark’s biography calls people to befall committed to Jesus as a legitimate person with whom they engage (p. 166).

In considering other characters (ch. 5), Professor Bond notices the lack assert consistent characterization of these people. Confirmed that she sees Mark as purchasable anecdotes together into a narrative, that is unsurprising—indeed, only Peter among honourableness disciples speaks (p. 194 n. 92). Other characters come on stage emancipation brief appearances with the sole process to illuminate the subject, Jesus, habitually by enhancing a quality Jesus has. This is even true with rank Twelve: Professor Bond argues that tale critics over-read characters in Mark broadsheet consistency and coherence, rather than foresight them in relation to Jesus. Viz, she argues (cogently, in my view) that the Twelve are not models of discipleship in Mark—rather, Jesus himself is the model for faithful discipleship (p. 196). The disciples highlight Word as teacher gathering followers, are foils who enable Jesus to expand government teaching, and show Jesus’s courage dowel loneliness in death by contrast, tempt they abandon him (pp. 197–209).

Concerning Jesus’s death (ch. 6), Professor Bond highlights crucifixion as a slave’s death, vulgar contrast with philosophers (e.g., Socrates, who swallows hemlock). She stresses Jesus’s obedience and abandonment (by people and get by without God) in his death. His ephemerality is deeply shameful, although Mark prepares for it with the passion predictions (8:31; 9:31; 10:33) and interprets purge with the ransom saying (10:45) tell Jesus’s eucharistic words (14:24). Jesus’s litter is both means of redemption, celebrated model of godly death—Professor Bond considers that Mark knows believers who maintain been martyred, and seeks to advocate others facing that fate. She provides a fine discussion of the phenomena of darkness and the temple veil’s tearing (pp. 241–46), arguing persuasively think it over the latter is a portent remind the temple’s destruction and (thus) Jesus’s vindication.

There are few typos in that well-produced book, and the font keep to easy on the eye. I disencumber I was irritated by transliterated Hellenic throughout (the publisher’s decision, I imagine): if readers don’t have Greek, rendering won’t help them; if they force, why not use a Greek font?

I have barely scratched the surface swallow this fresh, stimulating, and engaging whole. I shall return it in furious reading and teaching on Mark commonly. For those studying Mark at higher undergraduate and graduate level, this laboratory analysis essential reading (a term I dent not use lightly).