Mark’s story as oral traditional literature: Rethinking the transmission of some traditions about Jesus

Abstract

The interpretation of Mark’s gospel is inextricably linked to a conception of the gospel’s genesis. By basing his argument on an aspect of the ‘oral formulaic theory’ the author of this paper argues that Mark’s gospel can be seen as an example of oral traditional composition. The primary asset of this perspective is that it provides an alternative to the tradition-redaction stalemate, current in Marcan studies. Some general implications are briefly discussed in conclusion.