The Theology of the Gospel of Mark

This 1999 book presents a clear and understandable explanation of the contribution that Mark has made to the theology of the developing Jesus tradition. Dr Telford emphasizes the importance of context (the historical and the contemporary) and method (a combination of the historical-critical approach with literary approaches) for the proper understanding of Mark.

This 1999 book presents the reader with a comprehensive view of the theology underlying the first narrative account of the life of Jesus. In Chapter 1 Dr Telford introduces the background of the text and its general message, attempting briefly to place the Gospel (and therefore its theology) in its historical setting. In the second chapter, he describes and analyses the Gospel's theology, again from an historical perspective and with particular regard to its original context. In the third chapter, Telford goes on to examine the Gospel in relation to other relevant writings of the New Testament. Briefly reviewing this larger corpus and highlighting parallels and contrasts, where appropriate, he seeks to locate the Gospel's theology in its wider canonical context. The fourth and final chapter ranges even further afield, commenting on the Gospel's history of interpretation and on its significance in the contemporary context.