Reading the Gospel of Mark in the Twenty-First Century : Method and Meaning

Markan scholars have noticed a proliferation of approaches to the study of the First Gospel, thus demanding a new assessment of the current research. Simple enumeration, however, is not enough. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, there has been an increasing need to examine each method's added value to the better understanding of Mark's Gospel. In this volume, forty-two researchers reflect on the success of the various approaches. The book can be read as a dialogue between scholars. It integrates their reflections on methodology, specific passages, and particular topics of the Gospel. It also combines important aspects of the Gospel's history, narratology, reception, inter-textuality, composition, and theology with themes such as the messianic secret, the Kingdom of God, the disciple's role, the passion, the resurrection, and its open ending. After almost two millennia, Mark's enigmatic story about Jesus has generated more interest than ever before. The volume contains the proceedings of the Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense held at Leuven in July 2017.