Hearing Mark's Endings ― Listening to Ancient Popular Texts Through Speech Act Theory

Drawing on certain developments in both literary and rhetorical approaches to ancient popular texts, Gilfillan Upton (New Testament, U. of London) argues that the texts were meant to be read aloud to a listening audience, and that speech act theory and some other forms of literary analysis might be appropriate to explore texts on the interface of oral and written language. The Gospel of Mark is her case study, with Xenophon of Ephesus' romance Ephesiaca serving as a secular comparison from roughly the same time and culture. The study is revised from her doctoral dissertation, also at the University of London. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Bridget Gilfillan Upton received her Ph.D. from the University of London, studying at King’s College. She is currently teaching New Testament at Heythrop College, also in the University of London, where her main research interests lie in the application of aspects of film narratology to gospel texts, and to the four gospel tradition as a unit. She is, at present, Secretary of the British New Testament Society.