Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 06:2 (May 1944)
Article: Reviews Of Books
Author: Anonymous

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WTJ 6:2 (May 1944) p. 199

Reviews Of Books

Frederick C. Grant: The Earliest Gospel. Studies of the evangelic tradition at its point of crystallization in writing. New York and Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press. 1943. 270. $2.50.

Professor Grant, who occupies the chair of Biblical Theology in Union Theological Seminary, New York, presents here a readable and provocative volume dealing with many of the questions concerning Mark which are in the foreground of discussion today. The book may be divided into two main parts, the earlier chapters treating of the origin of Mark and the later of its distinctive historical and doctrinal contents. The entire treatment, however, obtains a unity from the pervasive effort to clarify the place occupied by this gospel within the broad developments of early Christianity.

At many points the book merely restates the arguments and conclusions of recent gospel criticism. This is true, for example, of its broad approach to the subject of the origin of the gospels in terms of form criticism or, as the author prefers to desginate it, tradition criticism. It is true also particularly of his exposition of Lohmeyer’s theory of the Galilean origin of the Marcan gospel tradition and of Werner’s argument that Mark presupposes, not a specifically Pauline point of view, but the common Gentile Christianity of his time. In indicating such dependence upon the work of other writers, it is not my purpose to disparage the work on that account. A definite value attaches to the restatement of theories, especially of such as have not received much attention in the English-speaking world. Moreover, at many other points the author presents the results of his own individual research, as in his discussion of the theory of the Aramaic origin of Mark, and offers novel points of view in his delineation of the message of Mark, notably in his chapters on “The Theology of Mark” and “Was Mark Anti-Semitic?”

The multiplicity of themes treated in this volume and the restrictions of our space combine to impose severe limitations upon the reviewer. I can attempt only to set forth the main thrust of the historical criticism of

WTJ 6:2 (May 1944) p. 200

Mark and to take note of the earnest effort of the writer, in spite of the radicalness of his criticism, to maintain the validity of Christian faith. Such criticism as is offered here will perhaps appear less apodictic if it is associated with other, more adequate, treatments of some of the major questions which this volume raises.

Broadly speaking, the position of Grant’s book with respect to Mark is the radical position associated with the names of Wrede, Wellhausen and their disciples in the school of form criticism. The traditional position is sharply...

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