Re-reading the Gospel of Mark Amidst Loss and Trauma

Author Maia Kotrosits: Maia Kotrosits is assistant professor of religion, queer studies, and women's studies at Denison University, USA. Author Hal Taussig: Hal Taussig holds professorial rank at both the Recontructionist Rabbinical College and the Union Theological Seminary in New York, USA. His 13 books include A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts; In the Beginning Was the Meal: Social Experimentation and Early Christian Identity; Re-Reading the Gospel of Mark Amidst Loss and Trauma (with Maia Kotrosits); and Meals in the Early Christian World: Social Formation, Experimentation, and Conflict at the Table (with Dennis Smith).

'This singular, frequently searing book creatively connects the trauma and turbulence of Mark's narrative and social worlds with the trauma and turbulence of our contemporary worlds. Refusing to read Mark as a provider of easy solutions, Taussig and Kotrosits instead frame Mark's engagement with loss as immensely, if disturbingly, profound. What also makes this book unique is that it is a cutting edge work of cultural theory. I can imagine doctoral seminars benefiting from it as much as Bible study groups, and I can think of no other work of biblical scholarship of which that is equally true.' - Stephen D. Moore, The Theological School, Drew University, USA "Re-reading the Gospel of Mark Amidst Loss and Trauma takes a fresh and innovative approach to the Gospel of Mark. The authors draw on their expertise in the methods of biblical scholarship, yet are well attuned to the reality of loss and fear faced by many Americans today. They address the latter head-on with pastoral care and sensitivity while remaining grounded in a historically informed reading of the Gospel text. By inviting the reader to become a participant in the interpretive process the authors creatively engage American culture as it attempts to find its place its soul in the global village." Richard S. Ascough, Director and Professor, School of Religion, Queen's University, Canada

• Introduction 1. Mark's Trauma-Filled Ending 2. Mark as Carefully Constructed Story 3. Pain and the Social Body 4. National Brokenness and Belonging 5. Brightness and Despair in the Midst of Devastation 6. When the Inner Circle Collapses 7. Disillusionment and the Allure of Destruction 8. Visions of the End 9. Loss, Suspense and Wonder 10. Mark and the Provisional Self