The Gospel of Mark, addressed to an early Christian community perplexed by failure and suffering, presents Jesus as suffering Messiah and Son of God. Recognizing that failure and suffering continue to perplex Christians today, Francis Moloney marries the rich contributions of traditional historical scholarship with the contemporary approach to the gospels as narrative to bring the Gospel's story to life for contemporary readers.
Reviews
"Fr. Francis J. Moloney has given us a fine commentary on Mark that works on a number of different levels and therefore will be of use to a number of different audiences. The main part of the commentary, intelligible to any educated lay reader, sticks close to the text and story of Mark as it stands, providing a good sense of the overall story of Mark, with its own peculiar language, tone, structure, and theology. The numerous footnotes provide the more advanced reader with discussions of more detailed questions of history, traditions, sources, and modern-date debates among scholars. In sum, Fr. Moloney shows himself to be a first-class scholar and teacher."
—John P. Meier, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
"Moloney has provided the same detailed and thoughtful reading of Mark's narrative that scholars familiar with his earlier work on John would expect. He incorporates the latest results of modern scholarship to show how carefully the evangelist has crafted a narrative out of earlier Jesus traditions. Based on the Greek text, this book provides a study of the gospel for pastors, seminary students, and intermediate level students."
—Pheme Perkins, Professor of New Testament, Boston College
"In his major new commentary, F. J. Moloney succeeds in interpreting Mark's Gospel at the highest scholarly level and also in a way that will be comprehensible to general readers. Moloney is one of those rare exegetes who are thoroughly familiar with the specialized literature on both sides of the Atlantic, so that this ranks as a truly 'international' commentary."
—Udo Schnelle, Professor of New Testament, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
"Francis Moloney has written an insightful commentary on the Gospel of Mark that will serve readers well—scholars and laity alike. Readers are treated to judicious treatment of important issues and troublesome passages. Moloney has a knack for clarifying Mark's goals and theological interests. This commentary is highly recommended."
—Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies, Acadia Divinity College
"Here is an accessible commentary by a great teacher. It combines historical and literary insights in a masterful way."
—Adela Yarbro Collins, Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale University Divinity School
"The commentary is detailed, penetrating, and theologically rich and would be accessible to the biblically literate if not expert reader, so it should be useful for preachers and students as well as scholars. For the latter, Moloney also provides a wealth of footnotes where he interacts with other interpreters of the Gospel. An extensive introduction reviews the currents of scholarship on this Gospel."
--The Bible Today
Author Biography
Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B., holds the Katharine Drexel Chair of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He is author of over thirty books, including A Body Broken for a Broken People: Eucharist in the New Testament (Hendrickson, 1997).