Humor in the Midst of Mark
Jon Carman
SBL Press, 2025
Humor in the Midst of Mark applies methods developed in humor studies to explore how the Gospel of Mark uses incongruity and humor in the miracle accounts in Mark 4:35–6:6. By positioning the gospel within the broader context of comedic texts from antiquity, Jon Carman explores the social, psychological, and pedagogical effects that humor may have had on ancient audiences of Jesus followers as they encountered performances of the gospel. Carman’s study demonstrates that humor studies offers a new window into reading and understanding characterization and Christology not only in the Gospel of Mark but also in other early Christian texts.
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