The Jewish Gospel of Mark

COURSE PREVIEW

It is often assumed that the Gospel of Mark was written for the benefit of a primarily gentile, non-Jewish Christian audience.  Dr. John Van Maaren proposes that Mark’s Gospel is firmly rooted in first-century Judaism, albeit differently from Matthew or Luke. The lectures consider the reasons why Mark has been read as a non-Jewish Gospel, address the early traditions of Mark’s composition, and seek to establish its social location (i.e., Jewish/non-Jewish). This intriguing course looks closely at how Jews and Gentiles are portrayed in Mark’s stories, arguing that it should be read within Judaism. Questions considered include: How is Torah observance portrayed in Mark? What are the criteria to be a part of God’s Kingdom that Mark describes? How central are the people of Israel for Mark’s salvation message and why is the gentile mission nearly absent in Mark’s narrative?