Mark's "negative" Gospel has puzzled both early church members who tacked on a more hopeful ending, as well as today's readers who wonder why it dwells so much on Jesus' failures. This fresh view of Mark presents the Gospel as it was meant to be heard by its original audience -- the early church in Rome, a church which had seemingly failed. It was for this audience that Mark told the story of the hidden Messiah who had also seemingly failed but who in truth had succeeded. The parallels between the confused church of long ago and the church of today adds significance to this interpretation.
This beautifully written book --
-- examines Mark section by section, from the title and prologue to the true ending
-- looks at the Gospel's style, background, and meaning
-- has a simple, lucid text for ordinary readers
-- includes extensive endnotes for the scholarly reader
-- offers compelling new insights for clergy and scholars
