Author Description

Because of its virtual absence in the long tradition of biblical study, the Gospel of Mark offers an extraordinary case history of how changing cultural circumstances influence biblical reception. Brenda Deen Schildgen examines what characteristics of Mark led to its being included in the canon of Scriptures and then explores the history of its reception. While focusing primarily on this single gospel, Schildgen examines numerous other works in the periods under consideration in order to provide a context for her discussion. Ultimately, observes Schildgen, we can see that when Mark receives attention, the form that its reception takes is an indicator of new historical forces at work. Multidisciplinary in approach, her work will be of interest not only to biblical scholars but to all those interested in hermeneutics, literary and critical theory, and the relationship between historical and literary studies.