Mark's Story of Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Really Understanding Mark
Review: The bible is more complex than most people realize or care to admit. This book really goes deep into full meaning from the history of first century Jewish faith. This book is a must. You will never go back and read Mark the same way. This book increased my knowledge and therefore ended up increasing my appreciation of Jesus (And Mark).

Rating:
Summary: Really Understanding Mark
Review: The bible is more complex than most people realize or care to admit. This book really goes deep into full meaning from the history of first century Jewish faith. This book is a must. You will never go back and read Mark the same way. This book increased my knowledge and therefore ended up increasing my appreciation of Jesus (And Mark).

Rating:
Summary: A good supplementary introduction
Review: This is a good introduction to Mark appropriate for all mainstream, non-conservative Protestant laypeople (I'm Lutheran ELCA myself), to be read in addition to - but not instead of - Rhoads et. al's "Mark as Story" and even more accessible than that essential general study.

It's basically a study of Mark focusing on it as the Gospel that's hardest on the disciples, submitting to us that the disciples failed and it's our responsibility to complete their mission and challenging us to finish the story. It also explores the fascinating 1st century background in which the Gospel was written - including the effect that the Jewish War and the destruction of the temple must have had on Mark's community. There are several references to the inadequacy of the RSV of the bible that will start to become dated as more people start using the NRSV, but that's a relatively minor criticism all in all.

An enjoyable read designed for general readers rather than scholars.