Matthew’s building blocks: Mark and Q: a critical look at a recent monograph

Abstract

This article offers a critical analysis of some of the principal arguments put forward in a recent monograph by J.A. Doole in defence of the thesis that Matthew, whilst being familiar wit hMark and Q, had a clear preference for the former in structuring his composition. Doole argues that Matthew used Q only in such a way that it never threatened to disrupt the dominance of Mark, used up Q 'as quick as possible', and was more at ease in Mark which he used both de visu and from memory. Against these positions, it is shown that Q played a more prominent roll all throughout Matthew's gospel than Doole assumes it did and that the 'de visu / from memory' dichotomy does not match the evidence.