Biography

Cilliers Breytenbach studied ancient languages, philosophy, pedagogy and theology at the University of Pretoria, and theology at the Ludwig Maximilians Universität München (Dr. theol. summa cum laude 1983, Dr. theol. habil. 1986). From 1985-1988 he was Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of South-Africa, from 1988-1990 university professor for the New Testament and early church history at the LMU in Münich. 1990-2019 he served as full university professor for the New Testament at the Humboldt University in Berlin and director of the Institute of Christianity and Antiquity.  He co-founded BerGSAS and chaired it for the HU from 2011-2020. Since 2003 he is Professor extraordinary of New Testament and Ancient Studies at Stellenbosch University (South Africa).

Project Abstract

A commentary on the Gospel according to Mark will be published in the esteemed Meyer series "Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar zu dem Neuen Testament" (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen). The nuanced German translation of the Greek discourse will reflect its dynamic use of verbal aspect (of the Greek indicative tenses and of the imperative) . To construct the "Chronotype" (Bakhtin) of the overall story, the introduction and exposition will trace the interweaving of Jesus tradition and apocalyptic fiction in Mark's "narrative reconfiguration" (Ricoeur) of human time. 

Phase 1 of the research will focus on the discourse and aim to check and improve my views on verbal aspect and the precision of the resulting translation of the Greek text into German with a group of mother tongue speakers. Throughout Mark's narrative, the alternation between the aorist, which depicts the running sequence of the main action line, and the imperfect that set the background scene or adds explanatory detail, contributes largely to liveliness,  perspective, "speed" (Genette), and relief of the discourse. Close, detailed and swift narration occurs in the aorist; distant, generalised, and slow summary in the imperfect. During direct speech in the imperative, the subtle difference between the aorist stem and the present stem contributes largely to present the speaker as addressing the audience directly. Both phenomena have not been investigated in and properly translated into German. Given the difference between the verbal systems of ancient Greek and German, it is a challenge to express this dynamic in German translation and sound boarding with a group of mother tongue speakers is a necessity.

Curriculum vitae

1973-1978

Studied ancient languages, philosophy, pedagogy and theology at the University of Pretoria, graduated with the Baccalaureus Artium, Baccalaureus Educationis and Baccalaureus Divinitatis

1983 

Dr. theol. (summa cum laude) in Protestant theology at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich

1986 

Dr. theol. habil. in New Testament Studies at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich

Academic career

1979

Temporary Senior Lecturer at the University of Fort Hare (South Africa)

1979-1980

DAAD scholarship holder, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich 

1981-1985

Assistant Professor at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich 

1985-1988

Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of South-Africa (UNISA)

1988

Scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 

1988-1990

University professor for the New Testament and early church history at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich

1990-1993

Full professor for the New Testament at the Kirchliche Hochschule Berlin 

1993-2019

Full University professor for the New Testament at the Humboldt University in Berlin and director of the Institute of Christianity and Antiquity

Oct 2011 - Sept 2020

Director of BerGSAS, Humboldt University Berlin

Since 2003 and 2012

Professor extraordinary of New Testament and Ancient Studies at Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

2013

President of the LXII Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense 

2016

President of the XXIV Colloquium Oecumenicum Paulinum 

Selected Publications

2021. "Alternation between Aorist, Historial Present and Imperfect: Aspects of Markan Narrative Style." In The Gospel according to Mark as Episodic Narrative (NT.S 182), 179-219. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004443754_009.

2021. "Das Wissen und Nicht-Wissen um die Zeit als Verhaltensregel: Eine textpragmatische Analyse der Endzeitrede in Markus 13". In The Gospel according to Mark as Episodic Narrative, 274-291. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004443754_013.

2021. "Mark's Tense Future." Early Christianity 12 (3): 297-321. https://doi.org/10.1628/ec-2021-0022.

2022. "Imperative Aspect in the Gospel according to Mark: Performative Instruction through Direct Speech". In Ancient Philosophy and Early Christianity: Studies in Honor of Johan C. Thom (NovT Sup. 189), edited by Philip R. Bosman and Gideon R. Kotzé, 388-413. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004517721_020.