This month the Journal begins a new series designed to cast some light on the history and background of Mark's message in the New Testament. Author Mary Jane Chapin describes the continuing scholarly attention being given to the Gospel of Mark, which she refers to as "a masterpiece in its own right. " It is a book that "invites us to feel and respond; it invites us into its world. "
Mrs. Chapin is a Bible scholar; she has a master's degree in Biblical studies from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she majored in both the Old and the New Testament. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mrs. Chapin is a Christian Science nurse by career, but also conducts Bible seminars throughout the United States.
Tucked between the majestic writings of Matthew and Luke lies a shorter work known as "The Gospel according to Mark." Thought to be an abbreviated version of the other two, Mark's Gospel was relegated to second-class status and essentially ignored until the 1830s. At that time, two scholarsSee Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (London: A & C Black, Ltd.. 1991), p. 9 began to argue seriously that, indeed, Mark was the original and that Matthew and Luke both copied from him! Their arguments were compelling, and after nearly two centuries of virtual neglect Mark suddenly became the focus of scholarly attention. That interest has yet to wane despite the various directions and dynamics of Biblical scholarship over the decades.
