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{en} John Van Maaren, The Gospel of Mark's Judaism and the death of Christ as ransom for many (Tübingen : Mohr Siebeck, 2025).

Abstract

"Until recently, there has been a near consensus that the Gospel of Mark is an expression of a Gentile, post-Jewish, form of Christ adherence. In his book, John Van Maaren challenges the notion of 'Gentile Mark' by developing the first narrative-wide reading of the Gospel as an expression of first-century Judaism. He consolidates insights from scattered studies and proposes new interpretations of specific texts and broader themes. He aims to lay the foundation for resituating the earliest extant account of Jesus within the history of early Christ-followers and first-century Judaism, re-examining the place of the law, the nations, the death of Jesus, and the expected kingdom of God." --

Contents

Introduction -- The Gentile Gospel of Mark from the end of the 19th century to today -- Jesus's practical application of the written law in the shadow of the approaching kingdom -- Jesus's target audience in the Gospel of Mark and the clash of empires -- Echoes of restoration in the Gospel of Mark's proclamation of the kingdom -- The death of Jesus as a ransom for scattered Israel -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1: An hypothesis about the communicative context of the Gospel of Mark -- Appendix 2: Sample of 90 Markan monographs published 2000-2023.