More on Secret Mark

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:13 pm by Guest Contributor

More on Secret Mark 2015-03-13T23:13:56-04:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here is a recent post of my friend and NT colleague Larry Hurtado on his blog— in regard to the continual kerfuffle about Secret Mark, my view is— it’s a forgery. BW3

————

In a posting a few days ago on this site, I commented on the recent conference on “Secret Mark,” observing that from reports not much seems to have changed on any side. I then reiterated some observations of my own, which are independent of (and were published originally prior to) the current controversy over whether Morton Smith concocted the letter. Mr. Roger Viklund is a now-familiar zealous advocate of the authenticity and importance of the purported letter of Clement of Alexandria and, more important still, the putative “Secret Mark” excerpted in the letter. Unable, thus, to tolerate any hint of suspicion about the text, he has posted a refutation of my “arguments”.

http://rogerviklund.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/larry-w-hurtado%E2%80%99s-arguments-that-secret-mark-is-a-forgery/

Oh dear! I fear that his charming devotion to “Secret Mark” has led him to misconstrue my posting, which obviously was not a set of “arguments” but merely some observations, that I contend give us cause to hesitate to embrace the Clement letter and its purported excerpts as much of a basis for grand theories about the Gospel of Mark and Christian origins. Mr. Viklund does not correct my observations (they stand as valid), but instead tries to minimize their force as “arguments”. Of course, they do not build a case for the inauthenticity of the Clement letter (I never stated that they did), so Mr. Viklund’s anxiety and zeal to refute these “observations” is misplaced.

I must also correct him on another point: The position I have taken up on the “Secret Mark” controversy is one of withholding judgement. I wrote the forward to Carlson’s book because I found his arguments sufficiently forceful to justify publication and to raise questions that needed to be addressed. As Carlson’s book has in fact generated a good deal of subsequent debate, it is obvious that it was correct to publish it.

I’d also like to correct Viklund’s construal of a few of my observations in my previous posting. My observation that it is curious that this is the only letter of Clement to survive stands as a curiosity. That is, of all that Clement corresponded about, that only this letter with its tantalizing references to an otherwise unknown text should somehow survive is . . . . curious. That not an “argument” that it’s inauthentic, but it is a reason to wonder why it is that only this purported letter survived, and I suggest a reason to treat it with some caution.

Likewise, my observation that it is curious that this apparently free-floating letter, supposedly written ca. 200 CE, survived for ca. 1500 yrs and yet only this one copy is extant remains valid. There are other examples of ancient texts for which only one or two copies survive, and from much later, but it is always appropriate to note the lengthy centuries separating the supposed composition and the extant copy.

Mr. Viklund points to texts such as the Egerton Gospel, but this is a late 2nd or early 3rd century copy of the text in question, not an 18th century copy. Viklund is correct that there were many more ancient Christian texts than survive. But that is no reason to treat this letter of Clement as authentic. In other cases we have later copies of texts referred to in ancient Christian sources, but neither this putative letter of Clement nor the “Secret Mark” excerpted are referred to in any ancient sources. Curious, yes?? Of all the many various Christian groups and views and texts referred to by, e.g., Irenaeus, Eusebius, & Epiphanius (who unhesitatingly referred to people and texts they regarded as “heretical”), nothing about this text. Hmm. A reason to be a bit cautious, I’d still say.

The observation that some scholars make these putative excerpts so important when a number of other scholars point to indications that the excerpts have an indebtedness to GMark and GJohn, also remains valid. Of course that’s not an “argument” against authenticity of the text, but it is a damn good reason to hesitate andponder why some scholars are so ready to use this rather poorly provenanced (and now inaccessible) copy of a supposed letter of Clement for such dramatic constructions of the history of GMark, when the scholarly jury remains divided on some basic issues of authenticity.

So, I reiterate my hope that further light can be shed. Mr. Viklund’s excited attempt to refute my observations reflects the “heat” about which I complained. Let’s have more light, and less heat.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 27, 2011

Words that Make a Difference--- TAPEINOO

Next Post

June 29, 2011 Humilitas---- John Dickson's Reflections--- Part One--- Get Low!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz