2-1
,

Social Identity Formation of the Christ Group in Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters: A Narrative Criticism of Mark 11 and 13

Social Identity Formation of the Christ Group in Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters: A Narrative Criticism of Mark 11 and 13

Sin Pan HO

Both Jews and the Christ group faced many sudden changes in the first century. The situation became acute in the 60s and 70s of the Common Era. Earthquakes, famines, plagues and sudden changes in social order were not uncommon in the Mediterranean world. In the In the 60s and 70s, the Christ group experienced empire-wide persecutions for being accused of setting Rome on fire. Jews witnessed the destruction of both Jerusalem and their sacred temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish war for independence.

How did the Christ group respond to these natural and man-made disasters? Were their responses different from the Jews?

In this paper, I will investigate the first narrative book of the New Testament: the Gospel of Mark. Mark 11 and 13 are examined from the perspective of narrative criticism, and found that Jesus' words and deeds towards the Second Temple were explicitly portrayed; the narrator intends the narratives to echo with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. The narrator communicates a constructive vision of world mission resulting from natural disasters and the First Jewish Revolt to the first readers. Mark's message is about gospel justice, but it is diametrically opposite to the theodicies in the Jewish literature. As a result, Mark's gospel shapes the social identity of the Christ groups after 70 by making them different from the Jews and more universally embracive. Mark's gospel decenters the cultural traditions of the existing members and focuses more on the aspects of forgiveness and faith-building of Christ's gospel which has been already stated in Mark 1.

With regard to the present contexts in Hong Kong, this exegetical study may offer some insights to local churches concerning how to be more positive and vital in responding to the recent sudden changes in natural and political environments

wordpress_admin Dec 28, 2022 No Comments

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.

Related Posts

,

Message from the Editor of Issue 48

Editor's Note: Wu Guojie Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 250 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 million. This number does not include poor third-world countries with weak testing capabilities and inability to determine the cause of death. Due to the epidemic, the lives, economy, and travel of people around the world have been affected to varying degrees; for example, people have to wear masks when going out, maintain social distance, the number of gatherings is limited, quarantine is required when entering the country, travel has been greatly reduced, related industries have laid off employees, and unemployment has Rates thus increase and so on. In this environment, church gatherings have also been affected to a considerable extent. During the period when the epidemic was severe and gatherings were restricted, physical church gatherings were suspended, and online live broadcasts and video conversations became necessary alternative modes; even if the epidemic eased and physical gatherings reopened, online Synchronization has also become the new normal. In the face of this disaster, which is called the "pandemic of the century," what resources does the Christian faith have that can help the church respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity? This issue of "Sandow Journal" takes "Epidemics and Disasters" as the theme, and brings together different scholars to discuss it from the perspectives of the two Testaments, doctrinal theology, and practical theology, hoping to enlighten modern Christians on how to deal with the challenges of this era. ...