Content

  1. Content This unit provides a thorough study of Mark’s Gospel, including its theological and literary character, its wider Jewish and Greco-Roman context and connections, and an overview of recent trends in Markan studies. A range of exegetical tools will be used to explore interpretive approaches to the Gospel of Mark, with particular emphasis on the way in which an understanding of community, mission and ethics is revealed in the narrative.

Unit code: BN3701W

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Whitley College

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Give an informed and critical account of the history of interpretation of Mark's Gospel

2.

Describe and defend a plausible socio-political and cultural setting for the Roman house ekklesiai

3.

Identify distinctive Markan Christological, ecclesiological, pneumatological, missiological and eschatological themes and understandings

4.

Exegete the Markan text by employing a range of appropriate exegetical methods and resources

5.

Discuss the interpretation and proclamation of Mark’s Gospel in meaningful ways for today’s world

Unit sequence

Introductory unit in NT (BN1001W or equivalent) plus one other biblical unit

Pedagogy

Interaction with online resources, including peer discussion, lecture MP3s, PPTs, readings, short videos

Indicative Bibliography

  • Byrne, Brendan. A Costly freedom: A theological reading of Mark’s Gospel (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008).
  • Broadhead, Edwin K. Mark. Readings: A New Biblical Commentary (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2009, 2nd edition).
  • Donahue, John R. & Daniel J. Harrington. The Gospel of Mark (Collegeville MN: Liturgical Press, 2002).
  • Leander, Hans. Discourses of Empire. The Gospel of Mark from a Postcolonial Perspective (Atlanta: SBL Press, 2013).
  • Levine, Amy-Jill (ed.) A Feminist Companion to Mark (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001).
  • Malbon, Elizabeth. Hearing Mark: A listener’s guide (Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans, 2002).
  • Marcus, Joel. Mark 1-8 and 81-16. (2 vols). Anchor Bible Commentary (New Haven CT: Yale University Press, 2002/2009).
  • Moloney, Francis J. The Gospel of Mark. A commentary (Peabody MA: Hendrickson, 2002).
  • Myers, Ched. Binding the Strong Man. A political reading of Mark’s story of Jesus (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1988).
  • Rhoades, David, Joanna Dewey & Donald Michie. Mark as Story. An introduction to the narrative of a Gospel. 2nd edn. (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press, 1999).
  • Webb, Geoff R. Mark at the Threshold (Leiden: Brill, 2008).
  • Witherington, Ben. The Gospel of Mark. A socio-rhetorical commentary (Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans, 2001).

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Exegetical Essay

3,000 word exegetical essay

0 50.0
Critical Review

1,000 word critical review of readings

0 30.0
Forum

Online forum participation (at least 5 entries of approximately 200 words each) responding to set readings and peer interaction

0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 1 Nov, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2022-10-31 17:56:05 +1100