Friday, November 30, 2012

Morton Smith and "Secret Mark" - Le Donne

Craig Evans is one of the best teachers I've ever had. His classes were always fascinating and entertaining. I cannot think of another time in my life when a classroom experience was so much fun. One of my favorite elements was when Craig would reveal the bizarre politics, conspiracies, personalities in the field of biblical studies. The story of Morton Smith and "Secret Mark" is one of the most bizarre and entertaining.  If you're not familiar with this story, treat yourself.

Craig also reminds us of Paul R. Coleman-Norton's “An Amusing Agraphon,” CBQ 12 (1950): 439–49...

“Teeth will be provided.” That line never gets old.

-anthony



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2 comments:

  1. Mike KNovember 30, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    I agree that Craig Evans is an excellent scholar. But there is a strong rebuttal of Evan's position from Scott G. Brown and Allan Pantuck at the same York conference on Secret Mark that will be published soon (http://www.tonyburke.ca/apocryphicity/2012/11/16/secret-gospel-of-mark-in-debate/). I was allowed a preview of this book and it does a good job bringing the best arguments of both sides of the debate on this. So I think the jury might still be out on the Letter to Theodore, especially as it would be fairly easy to make up a "lost saying" of Jesus without any evidence but how many could master the many skills (18th century Greek paleography, Markan style, Clementine style, ancient epistolary conventions, etc) to produce the Letter to Theodore?

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    1. Anthony Le DonneNovember 30, 2012 at 7:59 PM

      As long as we can draw out the bizarre a little longer, I will be happy.

      -anthony

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