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.

(contextual repetition). Deconstructive repetition of the second structure insinuates both the contradictory and the sophisticated content about the Son of Man into the narrative frame evoked by Christ, directly aligns one not characterized by these newly cultivated beliefs about the Son of Man and Christ with Satan and with those who condemn Jesus as deserving death, and reserves positive evaluation for those who accept these newly cultivated beliefs³¹. Thus, the characterization of the Christ functions to encourage the rejection of the authorial (and real) audience’s deficient and at times erroneous pre-existing beliefs about the Son of Man and the Christ and acceptance of the narrative audience’s cultivated beliefs which alone ensure positive alignment with the Son of Man who will send angels to gather the elect (13,27).