The Quest for Mark's Sources

The question of the relationship between the Gospel of Mark and letters of Paul has been ever-present in New Testament scholarship but has never been fully explored. This monograph seeks to probe further into this question through an examination of the literary relationship between sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians. Nelligan explores the context of these texts in Greco-Roman and Jewish literature, adopting the view that New Testament authors use imitation, with a sophisticated use of literary sources, as a major technique in their composition. He proposes a new set of criteria for judging literary dependence that builds upon and advances those already promoted by biblical scholars. Sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians are then compared and analyzed including the Eucharist accounts given in both texts. By analyzing and comparing sections of Mark and 1 Corinthians, most notably the account of the Eucharist in both texts, Nelligan argues Mark used 1 Corinthians as a literary source and that this was done using well-established literary techniques used in the wider Greco-Roman and Jewish literary world.

""In this book, Thomas P. Nelligan explores a neglected area of New Testament studies, that of the connection between Pauline writings and Mark's Gospel. Ever since Volkmar's assertion that Mark's Gospel was 'Pauline theology in narrative form,' the topic lacked serious investigation. Nelligan's literary study is a timely contribution to a very tantalizing question . . . Nelligan's research will be hailed as a landmark entry into unexplored territory. It merits a sequel.""
--Mary T. O'Brien, Lecturer, St. Patrick's College, Thurles, Ireland

""Nelligan provides another important study that takes seriously the methods of composition used by classical Greek and Roman authors--methods that have been largely ignored by the guild of New Testament studies. His work on methods and criteria for detecting literary dependence is excellent and should no doubt be consulted in any future work on intertextuality . . . [D]emonstrating literary dependence between Mark and Pauline epistles is . . . daunting, [but] Nelligan has stepped up to the challenge.""
--Adam Winn, Assistant Professor, Department of Biblical and Religious Studies, Azusa Pacific University

""In its quest to uncover literary connections between 1 Corinthians and Mark's Gospel, this well-written book presents a provocative challenge to conventional theories on Markan sources. Nelligan's approach draws on Greco-Roman and Jewish methods of text absorption. While he may not convince everyone of his thesis, his contribution is original and a valuable addition to the debate.""
--Jessie Rogers, Lecturer, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland


Thomas P. Nelligan is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick, Ireland.