The means and effects of segmentation in the Gospel of Mark

This thesis investigates the pragmatics of καί, δέ, and γάρ in the Gospel of Mark. Drawing from the approaches of Wallace Chafe, Frank Scheppers, and Anna Bonifazi, I analyze how these particles guide a reader through written sense units (cola) of narrative text. Indeed, this thesis provides an important bridge of linguistic work on Greek particles between the fields of Classics and Biblical Studies. To better understand how Mark uses these particles, this thesis compares Mark with Philo’s Life of Moses, Plutarch’s Life of Fabius Maximus, and Greek Joshua. I argue that discourse particles offer segmenting and processing aids for reading, revealing a rhythm and style in Mark that enhances the overall cohesion and exegesis of the Gospel. After laying out the methodology and approach to discourse particles (chapter one), the argument unfolds across three main chapters. Chapter two explores καί in narrative. In spite of the apparent uniformity of καί parataxis, Mark, in fact, varies the order of cola across a passage, often increasing suspense at certain climactic moments by employing periodic style. Chapter three investigates δέ. What some historically saw as an adversative particle and others more recently as marking literary development, Mark often uses δέ to include parenthetical statements or signal topic changes, each at very small divisions in the discourse. Chapter four investigates γάρ. Rather than using γάρ mainly to introduce reasons or causes, authors often used it to regulate narrative flow between online and offline narrative comments. This study highlights significant differences between the narrative comments of Mark from the comparators. The conclusion (chapter five) synthesizes significant findings from these chapters. In sum, attention to discourse particles and segmentation enhances the reading and exegesis of the NT documents while at the same time opening new avenues for future research.