This book is an introduction to the Gospel of Mark, paying special attention to its theological message. Proposing a new understanding of Mark's Gospel, this book states that its central idea is the recognition of Jesus as the son of God, a claim made at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the Gospel. The contribution of this book is that the recognition of Jesus as the son of God is only possible through the action of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives at his death. Upon this idea, the author studies other major ideas of the Gospel such as Jesus's own designation as the son of man, the coming of the kingdom of God, the revelatory message of the miracles of Jesus, and the identity of the disciples.
Endorsements
"To read José Enrique Aguilar Chiu's treatment of the Gospel of Mark is both a pleasure and a learning experience. Key is the author's determination to read Mark theologically from a literary perspective. How this works can be seen in chapter two, entitled Literary Clues in the Gospel, especially in the subsections Key Texts and Special Literary Features. Here Aguilar shows his hand and discusses the specific features of this New Testament book that permit his full theological analysis to emerge. Not to be missed in his overall treatment is the author's fruitful and deep understanding of what happens on Good Friday in Mark 15, as he connects the death of Jesus to the rending of the temple veil, the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and the confession of our Lord as the son of God, even as he draws a further profitable connection between these features and the baptism of our Lord in Mark 1. You won't regret giving this book a close look."
--Rev. James W. Voelz, PhD, Concordia Theological Seminary, USA
"This highly informative introduction outlines the theological idea of the oldest Gospel in a comprehensive way. It highlights the role of the spirit in the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the son of God. In a most readable way, the author combines the presentation of the state of research with historical information and a solid theological interpretation."
--Prof. Dr. theol. Paul-Gerhard Klumbies, University of Kassel, Germany
José Enrique Aguilar Chiu is professor of biblical theology at St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York. A member of the SNTS, SBL, and CBA, he is one of the general editors of The Paulist Biblical Commentary (Paulist Press 2017). He obtained his doctorate in Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome) and has written several academic articles and books.
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