Hearing Mark: A Listener's Guide

By Elizabeth Struthers Malbon

Book Overview

Originally, the Gospel of Mark was read aloud to first-century audiences eager to hear more about the life of Jesus and how his teachings could touch their own lives. Now Elizabeth Struthers Malbon,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563383799
• ISBN13: 9781563383793
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Trinity Press International
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.9" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Short but sweet...and who knew a commentary could even be funny?

"Hearing Mark" is barely over 100 pages, but it is a great commentary full of insights and information and "hooks" for preachers. It would also be perfect for Bible study groups. Hard core Bible warriors and tentative explorers, folks of all education levels and political convictions will be able to use and enjoy this book. It would probably even work with younger people if you were inclined to try it. There are a lot of commentaries out there. What sets this one apart? 1. It emphasizes Mark's gospel as written for the ear -- as a story that unfolds, almost as if around an ancient campfire. So instead of looking in depth at Greek words or the shades of meaning that come out of separating each strand in a sentence (the way you might carefully study a written text), the author explores the importance of setting, plot, characterization...and themes that appear, step back, and return later....the things that a listener might hear and pick up on as a tale is told. This is a different way of reading, and yields fresh insights. 2. The author also clearly writes for the ear. (For example: writing about the feeding of the 4000, she says: "Do you hear an echo here? He did this before. He took, he blessed, he broke, and he gave. These four verbs occur one more time in Mark--at the Last Supper.") I find her style to be really learned and really approachable all at the same time. 3. It follows the work of David Rhoads (Mark as Story) and others, trying to offer resources to help people reconnect with the Gospel as a heard experience. The "resources" section at the end of the book gives many ideas and dvd/vhs possibilities for church groups who want to pursue this as a special program. That alone would be worth the price of the book, and I am giving it serious thought for my own church. (It's that convincing.) 4. For preachers: this commentary takes about 90 minutes to read cover to cover. It's a great way to give yourself a genuine overview of Mark and plan a year's worth of preaching (if you're using the lectionary). You'll see when important moments are going to appear, when they build over several Sundays, when Mark shifts gears, when important theological concepts emerge or reemerge. For narrative preachers, specifically, this is much like Rhoads in emphasis, but written in a commentary format. It is a great book. I hope that Dr. Malbon writes companion volumes on the other Gospels.