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.

this content by dei= (8,31) forestalls its outright rejection through a warrant asserting divine necessity, and the narrative rhetoric then attempts to ensure its viability in five ways. First, the structural linkage of 8,31 and 8,38 identifies the Son of Man who suffers, is rejected, is killed, and rises with the Son of Man who comes in the glory of his Father and relates the contradictory content to pre-existing content in such a manner that rejection of the former requires rejection of the latter. Second, the initial occurrence of the structure indicates that rejecting the contradictory content aligns one with Satan and constitutes erroneous thinking (frone/w) that places one in opposition to Jesus (8,33). Third, the initial teaching asserts the potential for one who accepts this content to become beneficiary of the Son of Man’s parousaic identity and activity and to see the reign of God come in power. Fourth, the initial teaching also combines appeals to the disciple’s self interest in statements employing want (qe/lw) with warnings about the consequences of rejecting this content: one wanting to be Jesus’ disciple (8,34) and to save one’s life (8,35) must accept this contradictory content; and one rejecting this content will lose one’s life (8,35), and the Son of Man will be ashamed of that one when he comes (8,38). Fifth, subsequent teachings continue to combine appeals (qe/lw, 9,35; 10,35.36) with warnings (9,39; 10,43) and to clarify potential benefits for one accepting this content (9,41; 10,45).

2. Reasserting the Reliability of the Narration

        Even if the narrative rhetoric forestalls rejection of the contradictory content and ensures its viability, the authorial (and real) audience’s resistance to the content of the former repeated structure (8,31–9,1; 9,30-41; 10,32-45) will undermine the narration’s reliability to a significant degree. The narrative rhetoric then reasserts reliability through an almost exclusive reliance on the evocation of pre-existing beliefs and their sophistication with coherent content within Mark 11 and 12. This newly reasserted reliability then provides a convivial context for evocation and further development of contradictory content in later occurrences of the second repeated structure (13,21-27; 14,60-65).

3. The Narrative Rhetoric of the Characterization of the Christ

        Whereas the narrative rhetoric introduces contradictory content about the Son of Man overtly by relating this designation to particular