Marking the End: Sense and Absence in the Gospel of Mark

"The greatest contribution of Magness' work is the bringing to bear on the problematic Marcan ending both modern literary theory and ancient literary practice to argue persuasively that the Marcan author gave enough clues in his text for the Marcan readers to make sense of the ending that is there and to complete the ending that is not there. Magness finds the existence of the Marcan ending at 16;8 less extraordinary than some have found it and the sense of the Marcan ending less polemical than others have argued it to be. In 'normalizing' our approach to the ending he interrelates the author's intent in writing and the reader's strategy in reading."



Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, in the Journal of Biblical Literature,

Professor of Religious Studies, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA





"Lee Magness provides a stimulating discussion of the textual and, especially, the literary data involved in making sense of the ending of Mark's Gospel. He not only provides the reader with a provocative discussion of the issues but invites the reader to join in the process of interpretation. It is a wonderful book, highly recommended."



David L. Barr, Professor of Religion, Wright State University

Dayton, Ohio