This thesis examines the pericope Mark 2: 18-22 with special reference to the Christological implications, in the final form of Mark's text, of Jesus' reference to himself as 'Bridegroom'. The Introduction outlines the importance of this quest in the light of its recent neglect or misrepresentation. Chapter 1 defines and offers a basic analysis of the area of interest: it confirms the boundaries of the pericope, deals with textual and Synoptic issues, and undertakes a linguistic-syntactic analysis. Chapters 2 and 3 look at the context of the pericope from a literary and theological standpoint, concluding, respectively, that it occupies a position of both structural significance and theological importance. The next three chapters examine the background to the nuptial imagery used by Jesus/Mark, Chapters 4 and 5 look at the Old Testament, specifically the Prophets (4) and the Psalms (5), where the figure is seen to be used exclusively of Yahweh and so never of the Messiah, usually with a hint of disruption. Chapter 6 turns to the New Testament, that is, to literature composed prior to, contemporary with and soon after Mark.In all of these, the Bridegroom image has been transferred to Jesus, not with a suggestion that it is part of his Messianic identity but rather in contexts of the highest Christology. Against this literary, theological and historical background, Chapter 7 gives a detailed exegesis of the pericope, concluding that, as elsewhere, Mark presents his readers with a divine figure, though one who is destined to be 'taken away'. The Conclusion summarises our analysis of the pericope, puts forward some of its literary and theological implications and suggests some further areas for study. Four Appendices study the text, Synoptic issues, the vocabulary, and the lack of use of the Bridegroom image for God in Jewish literature in the centuries immediately preceding the time of Jesus, notably in the Canticle of Canticles.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:580593 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Tait, Michael |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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