The Gospels and Homer: Imitations of Greek Epic in Mark and Luke-ActsThese two volumes of The New Testament and Greek Literature are the magnum opus of biblical scholar Dennis R. MacDonald, outlining the profound connections between the New Testament and classical Greek poetry. MacDonald argues that the Gospel writers borrowed from established literary sources to create stories about Jesus that readers of the day would find convincing. In The Gospels and Homer MacDonald leads readers through Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, highlighting models that the authors of the Gospel of Mark and Luke-Acts may have imitated for their portrayals of Jesus and his earliest followers such as Paul. The book applies mimesis criticism to show the popularity of the targets being imitated, the distinctiveness in the Gospels, and evidence that ancient readers recognized these similarities. Using side-by-side comparisons, the book provides English translations of Byzantine poetry that shows how Christian writers used lines from Homer to retell the life of Jesus. The potential imitations include adventures and shipwrecks, savages living in cages, meals for thousands, transfigurations, visits from the dead, blind seers, and more. MacDonald makes a compelling case that the Gospel writers successfully imitated the epics to provide their readers with heroes and an authoritative foundation for Christianity. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Passages in the Gospels and Acts with Proposed Imitations | 27 |
Part One Homers Iliad | 33 |
Part Two Homers Odyssey | 131 |
Appendix Analogous Imitations in Jewish and Christian Texts | 327 |
Notes | 387 |
| 413 | |
| 421 | |
| 423 | |
About the Author | 425 |
Other editions - View all
The Gospels and Homer: Imitations of Greek Epic in Mark and Luke-Acts Dennis R. MacDonald Limited preview - 2014 |
The Gospels and Homer: Imitations of Greek Epic in Mark and Luke-Acts Dennis Ronald MacDonald No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Achaeans Achilles Acts Andr Acts of Andrew Aeneas Aeneid Agamemnon ancient Andromache angel anointed apostle appears arrived asked Asteropaeus Athena beggar blind Christianizing Homer Circe comrades corpse crew criterion crowd dead death demoniac Dioscuri disciples Elpenor Eumaeus Euripides Eurycleia Evangelist father feast gods Greek Hades hand healing heart Hector Heracles Hermes hero Homer Homeric Centos Homeric Epics identity Iliad imitation Ithaca Jerusalem Jesus Jewish John Joseph Josephus Judas kill king Laertes Laestrygonian Logoi Logoi of Jesus Lord lost Gospel Luke and Vergil Luke's Mark Mark's Markan Melanthius Menelaus mimesis mother narrated narrative Nestor Odysseus Odysseus's parallels Paul Paul's Penelope Peter Phaeacians poet Polyphemus prayed prayer Priam prophet readers recognized redaction resembles sailed saying ship Shipwrecked Gospels slave sleep soul spoke story stranger suitors Telemachus Testament Tiresias told tomb took Trojans Troy we-voyage weeping woman women word Zeus