Authority and Passion, by Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Formerly of America, is an indispensable resource for anyone who is interested in the Gospel of Mark, whether it be one with an initial, cursory interest, or someone who is looking to further serious academic study. Trakatellis' focus on the two fundamental Christological aspects found in the Gospel of Mark -- authority and passion -- without committing to a single exegetical method, but instead a multiplicity, provides a unique, wholistic lens through which to read this Gospel, but also the whole of the Scriptures. Its pericope-by-pericope layout makes it the perfect tool to accompany daily devotional reading, academic study, and sermon preparation. One of the unsung heroes of this work is the scrupulously assembled footnotes and index. These numerous, detailed citations and notes give this work an even greater depth that will almost certainly accelerate any reader into further study of the Gospel of Mark and the life of Christ more broadly.
His close literary and theological reading of the text could serve as a good primer on Mark's presentation of Jesus. Journal of Biblical Literature
Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Ph.D. Th.D., served as Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He also taught at Harvard Divinity School as Visiting Professor of New Testament. In addition to many articles and monographs, he is the author of The Pre-existence of Christ in the Writings of Justin Martyr (Harvard Dissertations in Religion 6); The Transcendent God of Eugnostos: An Exegetical Contribution to the Study of Gnostic Texts (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1991); A Call to Faith: Addresses and Lectures (2004); Ways of the Lord: Perspectives on Sharing the Gospel of Christ (2010); The Fathers Interpret: Aspects of Patristic and Biblical Interpretation (Apostoliki Diakonia, 2016) and Speaking to God (2013). The archbishop served as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America from 1999 to 2019.
