Authority And Passion: Christological Aspects of the Gospel According to Mark

Authority and Passion, by Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Formerly of America, is an indispensable resource for anyone who is interested in the Gospel of Mark, whether it be one with an initial, cursory interest or someone who is looking to further serious academic study. Trakatellis’ focus on the two fundamental Christological aspects found in the Gospel of Mark -- authority and passion -- without committing to a single exegetical method, but instead a multiplicity, provides a unique, wholistic lens through which to read this Gospel, but also the whole of the Scriptures. Its pericope-by-pericope layout makes it the perfect tool to accompany daily devotional reading, academic study, and sermon preparation. One of the unsung heroes of this work is the scrupulously assembled footnotes and index. These numerous, detailed citations and notes give this work an even greater depth that will almost certainly accelerate any reader into further study of the Gospel of Mark and the life of Christ more broadly. His close literary and theological reading of the text could serve as a good primer on Mark’s presentation of Jesus. Journal of Biblical Literature Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Ph.D. Th.D. served as Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He also taught at Harvard Divinity School as Visiting Professor of New Testament. In addition to many articles and monographs, he is the author of The Pre-existence of Christ in the Writings of Justin Martyr (Harvard Dissertations in Religion 6); The Transcendent God of Eugnostos: An Exegetical Contribution to the Study of Gnostic Texts (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1991); A Call to Faith: Addresses and Lectures (2004); Ways of the Lord: Perspectives on Sharing the Gospel of Christ (2010); The Fathers Interpret: Aspects of Patristic and Biblical Interpretation (Apostoliki Diakonia, 2016) and Speaking to God (2013). The archbishop served as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America from 1999 to 2019. Contents FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH EDITION  XIII PREFACE XV PROLOGUE TO THE 2023 EDITION XVII INTRODUCTION XXI CHAPTER ONE THE MANIFESTATION OF AUTHORITY AND THE PRELUDE TO THE PASSION (MARK 1.1-8.26) MANIFESTATIONS OF JESUS’ AUTHORITY: PHASE ONE (1.1-3.6). 28 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1.1) 28 John the Baptist Announces the Coming of Christ (1.2-8) 29 The Baptism of Jesus (1.9-11) 29 The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness (1.12-13) 31 Jesus Announces the Coming of God’s Kingdom (1.14-15) 31 The Calling of the First Four Disciples (1.16-20) 32 The Healing of the Demoniac in the Synagogue (1.21-28) 33 The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law (1.29-31) 35 Jesus’ General Preaching and Healing Activity (1.32-34) 36 Jesus’ Withdraw to a Lonely Place. The Healings in Galilee (1.35-39) 36 The Cleansing of a Leper (1.40-45) 37 The Healing of a Paralytic at Capernaum (2.1-12) 38 The Calling of Levi and the Dinner with the Sinners (2.13-17) 40 On Fasting. The Dynamics of the New (2.18-22) 42 The Question About the Sabbath (2.23-28) 43 The Healing of the Man with the Withered Hand (3.1-6) 45 MANIFESTATIONS OF JESUS’ AUTHORITY: PHASE TWO (3.7-6.6) 48 Expansion of Jesus’ Healing Activity (3.7-12) 48 Selection and Mission of the Twelve (3.13-19) 50 Jesus’ Intense Activity. The Beelzebul Accusation (3.20-30) 51 Natural Kindred and Spiritual Kindred (3.31-35) 54 The Parable of the Sower. The Purpose of the Parables. The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower. The Lamp and the Hidden Things (4.1-25) 55 The Parable of the Growing Seed. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (4.26-34) 57 The Calming of the Sea-Storm (4.35-41) 58 The Healing of the Gerasene Demoniac (5.1-20) 60 The Resurrection of Jairus’ Daughter. The Healing of the Woman with the Issue of Blood (5.21-43) 63 Jesus in Nazareth. The Nazarenes’ Unbelief (6.1-6) 65 MANIFESTATIONS OF JESUS’ AUTHORITY: PHASE THREE (6.7-8.26) 68 The Mission Charge to the Twelve and Their Activity (6.7-13) 68 The Decapitation of John the Baptist (6.14-29) 69 The Return of the Apostles From Their Mission. The Feeding of the Five Thousand (6.30-44) 72 Jesus Walks On the Sea (6.45-52) 74 The Healing of Many Sick People (6.53-56) 76 Questions On Ritual Purity. Defilement is Not a Matter of External but of Internal Conditions (7.1-23) 77 The Healing of the Daughter of the Syro-Phoenician Woman. The Healing of the Deaf and Dumb Man (7.24-37) 79 The Feeding of the Four Thousand (8.1-10) 80 The Pharisees Demand a Sign From Heaven (8.11-13) 81 The Dispute Over Bread and the Blindness of the Disciples (8.14-21) 82 The Healing of the Blind Man at Bethsaida (8.22-26) 83 CHAPTER TWO BALANCE WITHIN ALTERNATING CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY AND PASSION (8.27-10.52) The Confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi (8.27-30) 86 The First Prediction of the Passion (8.31-33) 88 The Disciples’ Cross. The Coming of the Kingdom (8.31-9.1) 91 The Transfiguration of Christ (9.2-8) 93 The Discussion About the Son of Man’s Resurrection and About Elijah (9.9-13) 96 The Healing of the Boy With an Unclean Spirit (9.14-29) 97 The Second Prediction of the Passion (9.30-32) 99 Who is the Greatest and Who is First. Receiving Children in the Name of Jesus. The Strange Exorcist (9.33-50) 101 Discussion About Divorce (10.1-12) 103 The Blessing of the Little Children (10.13-16) 105 The Rich Man and the Question of Eternal Life (10.17-27) 106 Blessings for Those Who Have Followed Jesus (10.28-31) 107 The Third Prediction of the Passion (10.32-34) 108 The Request of James and John. The Discussion About True Greatness. The Priority of Serving (10.35-45) 111 The Healing of the Blind Man at Jericho (10.46-52) 113 CHAPTER THREE THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PASSION IN THE LIGHT OF AUTHORITY (MARK 11.1-16.20) THE FIRST PHASE: THE CONFLICT REACHES A CLIMAX (11.1-13.36) 118 The Entry of Jesus Into Jerusalem (11 1-11) 118 The Withered Fig Tree. The Cleansing of the Temple (11.12-25) 120 The Question About the Authority of Jesus (11.27-33) 122 The Parable of the Vineyard and the Tenants (12.1-12) 123 The Question About Paying Taxes to Caesar (12.13-17) 125 The Question About the Resurrection (12.18-27) 126 The Question About the First Commandment (12.28-34) 127 The Question About Christ as David’s Son. The Denouncing of the Scribes by Jesus (12.35-40) 128 The Offering of the Poor Widow (12.41-44) 130 The Prediction of the Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem (13.1-2) 131 The Beginning of Woes. Wars. Persecutions (13.3-13) 132 The Abomination of Desolation. The Intensification of the Tribulation. The Appearance of the False Christs (13.14-23) 134 The Glorious Coming of the Son of Man (13.24-27) 135 Warning Signs About the Parousia. Unknown the Day and Hour of the Parousia. Watchfulness (13.28-37) 137 THE SECOND PHASE: THE PASSION (14.1-15.47) 139 The Plot to Kill Jesus (14.1-2) 139 The Anointing of Jesus at Bethany (14.3-9) 140 Judas’ Agreement With the High Priests to Betray Jesus (14.10-11) 141 Jesus Passover With the Disciples (14.12-21) 142 The Institution of the Eucharist (14.22-25) 144 The Prediction of Peter’s Denial and the Disciples’ Desertion (14.26-31) 146 The Prayer in Gethsemane (14.32-42) 147 The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus. The Flight of the Disciples (14.43-52) 150 The Trial Before the Sanhedrin (14.53-65) 152 Peter’s Denial of Jesus (14.66-72) 155 The Trial Before Pilate. Barabbas. Jesus’ Death Sentence (15.1-15) 156 The Mockery By the Soldiers (15.16-20) 158 The Crucifixion of Christ (15.21-32) 160 The Death of Christ. The Confession of the Centurion (15.33-41) 163 The Burial of Jesus (15.42-47) 166 THE INVERSION OF THE END: THE RESURRECTION. (16.1-8 and 16.9-20) 166 The Short Ending of Mark, The Visit of the Women to the Tomb of Jesus and the Declaration of the Resurrection of Jesus (16.1-8) 166 The Long Ending of Mark, The Appearances of the Risen Christ, and The Ascension (16.9-20) 169 CHAPTER FOUR ANATOMY OF THE TWO BASIC CHRISTOLOGICAL CONCEPTS THE ASPECT OF CHRIST’S AUTHORITY 173 Christ’s Authority Over Evil Spirits 173 Christ’s Authority Over The Natural World 175 Christ’s Authority Over Illness 176 Christ’s Authority Over Sin 177 Christ’s Authority Over Common Religious Institutions 178 Christ’s Authority Over Natural Institutions 180 Christ’s Authority to Create New Relationships, Institutions, and Interhuman Roles 180 Christ’s Authority to Read Hearts 181 Christ’s Authority Over Truth and Our Salvation 182 Christ’s Authority Over Distorted Creation 184 THE ASPECT OF CHRIST’S PASSION 188 The Religious Leaders 189 The Disciples 192 The Nazarenes and Gerasenes 195 Bodily Torment 196 Mental and Spiritual Torment 198 Offering Of Salvation For Humankind 200 The Sacrificial Death Of Jesus On The Cross 201 The Revelation of Jesus’ Humanity Through His Passion 203 CHAPTER FIVE AUTHORITY AND PASSION: THE SUPERB CHRISTOLOGICAL REALITY The Concurrent View Of Authority And Passion 205 The Son of Man 207 The Son Of God 212 The Interdependence of Authority and Passion 216 The Interdependence of Authority and Passion In the Three Major Sections of Mark 218 The Emphasis On Christ 223 The Genuine Coexistence of Authority and Passion 224 General Outline and Particular Pericopes of the Gospel of Mark 227 Abbreviations 231 1. COMMENTARIES (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER) 231 2. TEXTS AND GENERAL WORKS 232 3. PERIODICALS 232 ENDNOTES 235 CHAPTER ONE 235 CHAPTER TWO 259 CHAPTER THREE 271 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 297 A. COMMENTARIES 297 B. SPECIAL STUDIES AND ARTICLES 298 INDEX OF THE O.T./N.T. PASSAGES AND AUTHORS 307 1. O.T. AND N.T. 307 2. AUTHORS 313     Paperback: 330 Pages Publisher: Holy Cross Orthodox Press ISBN: 978-1-960613-03-5 Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches