One of the key questions that motivates scholars in New Testament studies is the Synoptic Problem-the relationship between Matthew, Mark, and Luke as they tell roughly the same story about the life and work of Jesus. For years, scholars have argued that the Gospel of Mark was the first Gospel produced, and that Matthew and Luke borrowed their materials from Mark, and a few additional sources.
In Beyond the Impasse of Markan Priority, a follow-up to their Beyond the Q Impasse, David Peabody and his co-authors offer a dissenting voice, and demonstrate why they believe the Gospel of Mark is dependent on Matthew and Luke. While this argument is not a new one, this book provides the first detailed textual analysis to make the point definitively. Pericope by pericope, the authors examine and retell the story or teachings contained therein to highlight the dependence of Markan features on those of Matthew or Luke or both. This retelling is followed by observations that highlight structural, compositional, and thematic features of the pericope. The analysis concludes with a focus on literary details such as Markan additions to the texts of Matthew and Luke, Markan changes to the texts of Matthew and Luke, and evidence of fragmentary preservation of Matthew and Luke in the Markan text.
David B. Peabody is Professor of Religious Studies at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln.
Lamar Cope is Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Carroll College, Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Allan J. McNicol is Professor of New Testament at the Institute of Christian Studies in Austin, Texas.
