The Historical Setting of Mark's Gospel: Problems and Possibilities

Abstract

Some proposals for the setting of Mark's Gospel are reviewed, highlighting the complexities of identifying a particular Markan community. Mark's Gospel provides very little indication of its supposed immediate context. To explain this fact it is suggested that the Gospel should be approached as oral-traditional literature, such as was performed in many contexts before various audiences: a story told by an itinerant radical teacher. Possible role models for such an itinerant storyteller are discussed to show the historical possibility and plausibility of an oral performer (storyteller) with links to a written text. Some methodological and theoretical issues are elaborated, emphasizing the interrelationship of contents (the story), the linguistic characteristics of the text (its 'texture') and context.