A Narratological Research On Characters In The Gospels

The narratological research of the characters in the Gospels is a new approachwhich was born in the 1970's. Much has been devoted to this in foreign countries andtremendous cultivation been accomplished, however, such studies remain fairlyalienated from most, if not all, Chinese scholars. Given this, the author intends toprovide a brief analytical account on such researches abroad in the first place, and moreimportantly, to elucidate subsequently the human figures in the Gospels and concentrateon the personality of Mark. This thesis unfolds a backdrop of narratological studies on human figures in theGospels, provides an brief account on current researches abroad together with criticalanalyses of their inefficiencies, and eventually offers -- taking Mark as a typicalexample -- the author's own original and creative view concerning the following threeissues: character-classification, character-function, and the tragic and the sublimecontained in the image of Jesus.