Mark Challenges the Aeneid

Floyd E. Schneider

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781532690631, 9781532690648
• eBook ISBN: 9781532690655
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

Most scholars believe that Mark wrote his Gospel to the Romans. True: but in addition to presenting the Gospel to the Romans, Mark actually contextualized his Gospel by challenging the leading propaganda of his day, Virgil's Aeneid. The Roman poet, Virgil, wrote his masterpiece epic poem, the Aeneid, to promote the myth that Caesar Augustus was the son of god. The Aeneid went viral almost immediately upon publication in 19 BC, becoming Rome's premier piece of propaganda that promoted Augustus as the emperor who would bring peace to the world. Within the first century, the Aeneid reached from Masada to northern Britain and became a foundational piece of Roman education. Mark's mother, Mary, and his uncle, Joseph/Barnabas, raised him in wealth, and educated him in the four languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. They drew him to Jesus, and Barnabas took Mark on the first missionary journey. Mark spent time with Peter in Rome, where Mark wrote his Gospel in Greek. Mark most certainly had direct access to the most influential piece of Latin literature, the Aeneid, and he wrote his masterpiece Gospel comparing Augustus with Jesus, the true Son of God.

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Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Read This!
• What and Why
• The Gospel of Mark
• The Flow of the Texts - The Beginning of Mark’s Gospel
• The Flow of the Texts - The Middle of Mark’s Gospel
• The Flow of the Texts - The End of Mark’s Gospel
• Themes and Theologies Compared - God’s Control of History
• Themes and Theologies Compared - God as Father
• Themes and Theologies Compared - God as All-Powerful
• Themes and Theologies Compared - God as the One Who Breaks Down Barriers
• Themes and Theologies Compared - God as the Justified and Justifier
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Humanity of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Deity of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Power and Authority of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Salvation of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Afterlife of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Kingdom of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - Discipleship with Jesus vs. Citizenship with Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Secrets of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Mission of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Themes and Theologies Compared - The Eschatology of Jesus vs. Aeneas/Augustus
• Background - The Shroud of Greek and Roman Mythology
• Background - Virgil
• Background - Augustus
• Background - Mark, the Author
• The Aeneid’s Place of Supreme Propaganda in Roman History
• The Launching of the Aeneid
• The Aeneid’s Width and Depth of Dissemination throughout the Roman Empire and Beyond
• Mark’s Knowledge of the Aeneid
• The Aeneid’s Theology in Roman History
• Conclusions and Further Research
• Bibliography