The Questions and Answers Genre In Mark

Jerome Neyrey describes the plan of his “Questions, Chreiai and Honor Challenges: The Interface of Rhetoric and Culture in Mark’s Gospel” thus:

First, we need data on “questions” in antiquity: who asked questions of whom, why and in what context? Second, we examine the chreia for two reasons: (1) many chreiai begin with a question asked of a sage and (2) the chreia is undoubtedly the dominant form in which Mark reports the controversies of Jesus. Scholarship indicates that chreiai often served to celebrate the wisdom or cleverness of a sage(4) and thus honor him for this prowess. Third, this rhetorical material embodies the pivotal cultural values of antiquity, namely, honor and shame. We argue, then, that the chreia describes the typical “challenge/riposte” exchange which is a common form of social intercourse among ancient Mediterraneans. Hence, an in-depth appreciation of Jesus’ controversies requires analysis of all three aspects for a truly thorough study of Mark’s presentation of Jesus as an honorable person. Jesus is at least as good as the best of the ancient sages!

Interesting stuff. It may be too technical for the casual reader though. Go here.