Marcion’s Gospel and the Pascha: An Exercise in Interdisciplinarity

Leonhard Clemens

Zusammenfassung

The seminal studies on the impact of Marcion’s Gospel and his New Testament that were published during the last decade are based upon the obliteration of borders between New Testament Studies and Patristics. They revise decisions taken in the nineteenth century regarding these disciplines and their favourite subjects. They require a reorganization of the history of nascent Christian literature, theology, and liturgy in the first and second centuries. In that respect, they are of paramount importance for liturgical studies. Conversely, research in liturgical studies provides test cases for the research in New Testament studies and Patristics. Applying the results of research in these areas to their own data, scholars of liturgical studies may corroborate or challenge these results. The observations given above have suggested first steps to be taken in this direction with the example of the Pascha. In addition, the studies of Marcion’s impact upon Roman Christianity require a thorough revision of theories of Christian liturgical origins. Apart from considerations of chronology, the relationship of Christian liturgies and rabbinic (and other Jewish groups’) rituals, customs, and traditions call for their reassessment. The role of the canonical Gospels (including other branches of this literature like the Diatessaron) as sources for liturgies and as texts that were read during liturgies demand adjustments. Vice versa one cannot any more claim a liturgical background as a raison d’être for a text or its literary shape. The bottom line is that cooperation between the disciplines whose work is collected in this volume must increase and intensify.