Paul Danove, «The Rhetoric of the Characterization of Jesus as the Son of Man and Christ in Mark», Vol. 84 (2003) 16-34

This article investigates the semantic and narrative rhetoric of Mark’s characterization of the Son of Man and the Christ and the contribution of the portrayal of the Son of Man to the portrayal of the Christ. An introductory discussion considers the role of repetition in characterization, the nature of semantic and narrative frames and their implications for describing the implied reader of Mark, and the rhetorical strategies apparent in characterization. The study of characterization investigates the manner in which the semantic and narrative rhetoric introduces and reinforces frequently discordant content concerning the Son of Man and Christ and then relates developments concerning the Son of Man to the Christ. The study concludes with a consideration of the narrative function of the characterizations of the Son of Man and Christ.

        The distinction between the pre-existent content of semantic and narrative frames that are initially evoked by the narration and the content of semantic and narrative frames cultivated by the narration permits a distinction of two constructs of the implied reader, the authorial audience and the narrative audience¹⁰. The authorial audience is the construct of the implied reader for which the pre-existent content of semantic and narrative frames or, hereafter, pre-existing beliefs is evoked; and the narrative audience is the construct of the implied reader for which the cultivated content of semantic and narrative frames or cultivated beliefs is evoked¹¹. As such, the authorial audience is characterized by the pre-existing beliefs evoked by the narration; and the narrative audience is characterized by the beliefs cultivated by the narration¹².

        Repetition functions rhetorically when it cultivates beliefs for the narrative audience either by developing or by undercutting elements of pre-existing or previously cultivated beliefs. In this study, repetition that cultivates beliefs that cohere with pre-existing or previously cultivated beliefs is deemed a sophisticating rhetorical strategy; repetition that cultivates beliefs that contradict pre-existing or previously cultivated beliefs is deemed a deconstructive rhetorical