This chapter begins with a general discussion of the emergence of the gospel genre and the development of the Passion narrative. It then treats the critical issues that are peculiar to the interpretation of Mark, including the “Messianic Secret,” the characterization of the apostles, and the text-critical status of the “longer ending” of the gospel.

Cormac McCarthy’s fiction and drama reveal his deep knowledge of and fascination with the Bible and how people interpret it. This knowledge appears in his use of Biblical diction, allusions, and typology. Given the Bible’s cultural weight in the West, McCarthy uses its language to elevate imagery or ideas to a kind of cosmic significance. Biblical allusions and typology allow McCarthy to draw various theological themes into his texts, contributing to his polyphonic style. The Bible also serves as an opportunity to explore the nature of interpretation and meaning for many of McCarthy’s characters. In The Orchard Keeper, Outer Dark, Suttree, and Blood Meridian, characters debate the proper way to interpret passages in the Bible, which reflects McCarthy’s broader interest in the way we interpret the world and the sacred. The Bible is an essential context to understanding McCarthy’s works in their fullness.

Dialogue gospels are part of the wider network of texts and traditions that shaped early Christianity. This chapter offers examples of thematic and linguistic connections between the dialogue gospels and texts that came to be incorporated in the New Testament. These examples include the Johannine Farewell Discourse as a possible inspiration for the genre as well as specific links between John 13.31-17.1 and its non-canonical counterparts; links between the canonical resurrection appearances and dialogue gospels; and the Pauline influence, specifically the emphasis on the risen Jesus and the construal of the makeup of the cosmos. Common concerns include Jesus’ departure and its consequences, the nature of his resurrection, and how to overcome hostile cosmic beings that inhabit the space between heaven and earth. The chapter then looks at the shared themes of parables, mysteries and the question of who is worthy of receiving Jesus’ teachings. This wide-ranging demonstration of intertextual connections draws attention to the proximity of dialogue gospels and certain New Testament texts.

Chapter 1 looks at previous scholarly work on ‘dialogue gospels’ and offers a new group of 13 early Christian texts in which Jesus engages in dialogue with his disciples, answering their questions on the eve of his departure. Earlier classifications of dialogue gospels have varied widely, resulting in divergence regarding both what to call the genre and which texts are to be included in it. To construct a genre for the purpose of comparison, I argue for an inclusive and open understanding of genre. The 13 chosen texts demonstrate that the dialogue gospel form is not intrinsically linked to ‘gnosticism’ or any specific theology; that the narrative frame of the text and the dialogue are normally not two separate entities later glued together; and that the dialogical form is a fitting vehicle for eschatological revelation. This is followed by a preliminary comparative survey of main themes found within dialogue gospels: the saviour and eschatology. Dialogue gospels are comparable in that each is attentive to eschatological revelation, yet the revelations themselves are divergent. The overlaps and connections within these revelations demonstrate how problematic it is to taxonomize these texts into particular theological groups.