Mark (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible)

by William C. Placher

Publisher:

Westminster John Knox

, 2010

Overview

William Placher’s inaugural volume in this exciting series offers theological perspectives on what most scholars believe to be the earliest Gospel—the Gospel of Mark. The result is an accessibly written theological commentary focusing on the questions that Mark’s Gospel raises for us today. This is sure to be of immense value for all who want to hear the astonishing story Mark tells about “the good news of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1).

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Presents an accessibly written theological commentary on the Gospel of Mark
• Focuses on the questions that Mark’s Gospel raises for us today
• Offers theological perspectives on what most scholars believe to be the earliest Gospel

Contents

Top Highlights

“We should be suspicious, Kermode says, of our readerly instinct to ‘make sense’ of every element in a story.^{44” (Page 215)}

“But the most historically reliable details may not be at all the most characteristic.” (Page 4)

“Evil spirits are not to be trusted, even when they are telling the truth.” (Page 38)

“Gregory Palamas, the great Byzantine theologian, took things one step further. What happened on that mountain, he said, was not that Jesus was transformed into something he ordinarily was not: ‘Christ was transfigured not by receiving something he did not have before, nor by being changed into something he previously was not, but as manifesting to his disciples what he really was, opening their eyes and from blind men making them see again.’²⁴ Christ never stopped being fully God. At the transfiguration, the three disciples finally caught a glimpse of it.” (Page 125)

“The verb describing what happens to the heavens is an exceedingly forceful one, meaning ‘ripped apart’ or ‘torn open.’ Both Matthew and Luke tone it down to something like ‘opened.’ But as Donald Juel noted, ‘What is opened may be closed; what is torn apart cannot easily return to its former state.’²¹ In Mark’s version, the relation of heaven and earth has been permanently changed.” (Page 22)

Product Details

• Title: Mark (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible)
• Author: William C. Placher
• Series: Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 288
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Mark › Commentaries
• Resource ID: LLS:BELIEFMARK
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-16T23:02:50Z

About William C. Placher

William C. Placher (1948–2008) was Charles D. and Elizabeth S. LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. In 2002, the American Academy of Religion named him the best teacher in the country.