Question MARK

Truly the very last (and 69th) episode of our podcast. In this pod we discuss the alternative endings to the story, found in most bibles. Should they be ignored or do they bring something of genuine value to the table? Question MARK veterans and expert theologians, Ted Trost and Helen Bond, help us decide. We’d like to thank all our contributors without whom this show would have been a lot less enjoyable to do, and certainly a lot less insightful. Thank you for all you did. We know your contributions made a big difference to many of our listeners’ lives and we’re thrilled that they are now out there for even more people to enjoy in the future. PS Helen Bond hosts the Biblical Time Machine Podcast (with the amazing Dave Roos). Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7cNljZzhe4w3zL9t0MaOZH?si=9G0vB9NVRDe5XZZVDfOGVg

Today we welcome acclaimed biblical storyteller, Tracy Radosevic, to explore together one of the most puzzling episodes of Mark’s Gospel - the ending. How to explain this startling, even disturbing cliffhanger? Tracy Radosevic is Professor at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, as well as dean of the Academy for Biblical Storytelling (ABS). She’s an internationally recognised storyteller, educator, retreat facilitator, and coach. Since 1991 she has traveled all over the United States, as well as to several foreign countries, bringing her special brand of humor, insight, and faith to audiences of all ages and denominations through the power of embodied performance. You can find more on Tracy here: https://tracyrad.com

‘The Burial of Jesus’. This week we were excited to host our first Bible translator on Question MARK: The Podcast. Father Nick King SJ is currently Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Heythrop College, University of London, having recently published a translation of the entire Greek Bible. Nick is also the author of an excellent book on Mark, called ‘The Strangest Gospel’. It was fascinating to talk with someone so familiar with the original text about this little commented on, but significant episode in the greatest story ever told. ‘The Strangest Gospel’ can be found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strangest-Gospel-Mark-N-King/dp/1844176967

‘The Death of Jesus’. As a Professor, pastor and performer of biblical stories, Phil Ruge-Jones definitely knows his Mark! His understanding of Jesus’ death on the cross is particularly acute. If you’ve ever wondered why Jesus cries out on the cross, why the earth is covered in darkness for three hours and why the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom, this episode will both expand your understanding and inspire you. You can see some of Phil’s performances here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyGqSCYR2c6oQEKwtxK6_Ms3FZ2w94yoK For more on the meaning of the sponge filled with wine vinegar mentioned at the end of the podcast visit John Burnett’s Gospel of Mark Workshop here: https://gospelofmarkworkshop.com/bathroom-humor-at-the-cross/.

Mark 15:21-32: The Crucifixion of Jesus. On this pod we were pleased to welcome Dr Lucy Peppiatt, the director of the hugely popular WTC Theology, to talk about this climatic episode in Mark’s story. As it turns out, there’s a lot more going on between the lines and beyond the words than is at first apparent…. Some facts about Lucy’s work with WTC can be found here: https://wtctheology.org.uk/study-with-us/ Lucy is also the author of ‘The Disciple: On Becoming Truly Human’ and ‘Imago Dei’, both of which can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Lucy-Peppiatt/author/B00A4LNCS2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

The soldiers’ torture and mockery of Jesus in Mark 15:16-20 must count as one of the more shocking episodes in all of Scripture. But is there more going on than a simple description of gratuitous violence? Andre and Mary-Anne Rabe have been passionate communicators of the good news of Jesus Christ since 1990. Their message has taken them to some of the most obscure corners of the earth as well as to some of the most well known cities. For Andre and Mary-Anne, faith is more than dogmatic statements. It is an encounter with beauty that leaves us in breathless astonishment. They believe that no matter what we may believe, we are intrinsically valuable and loved. And nowhere has this love been demonstrated more clearly than in the person of Jesus Christ. Find out more about Andre and Mary-Anne’s ministry here: https://alwaysloved.net/intention/

Ted Trost is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. He’s written a Master’s thesis on Mark’s Gospel and he’s working on an exciting new commentary of Mark called ‘The Gospel of the Unnamed’. This latter is based on the premise that Mark deliberately elevates the last and the least of the characters in his story, many of whom are unnamed. Today Ted helps us unpick what’s really going on in Mark’s description of the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Pete Greig needs no introduction as the founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement. He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd church alongside his wife Sammy, a director of Waverley Abbey Trust, and a multi-award-winning author whose books, such as Dirty Glory and God on Mute have been translated into many languages. To find out more about Pete and his work go here: http://www.dirtyglory.org/new-page-2 In this episode of Question MARK Pete and Stef outline some of the various perspectives we can take when contemplating the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus. It turns out that this story presents both a deeply unsettling challenge to our complacency as followers of Jesus, and an inimitable promise of hope.

‘Jesus Before the Sanhedrin’. John Burnett is one of our ‘go-to guys’ when it comes to understanding Mark’s gospel. If John doesn’t know it, or if he hasn’t read it, then it’s probably not worth listening to. So it’s with extra enthusiasm that we interviewed John about this (in his view) climatic episode in the story. Listen in to see whether or not you agree with him. As well as being the chief theological advisor to this show, John is a reader in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the founder of the St Nicholas Africa Fund. He has been praying over and studying Mark’s gospel for nearly two decades. You can see some of the results of his work by going to his website: https://gospelofmarkworkshop.com John is also the lead administrator of the St Nicholas Africa Fund, a Charitable Works project of St Nicholas Orthodox Church in San Anselmo, California, and a charity that we at Question MARK the podcast directly support. John writes: “What do we do?— We directly help some of the poorest people in the world— all of whom are personally known to us— to finish high school, start businesses, and to meet their education, housing, nutrition, medical, and vocational needs.” For more information and to contribute to this charity go here: https://stnicholasafricafund.org

“What’s with the naked guy?” Professor Helen Bond of the University of Edinburgh provides a lively take on that most dramatic of gospel scenes, the arrest of Jesus and his disciples’ cowardly desertion. Of particular interest to Mark’s readers over the years has been the identity and significance of a certain ‘young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment’, who flees ‘naked, leaving his garment behind.’ Is he Mark himself? An angel? A symbol of Christian baptism? You decide - but only once you’ve listened to this podcast. Helen Bond is Professor of Christian Origins, Head of the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh and the author of several highly regarded studies of the New Testament, including ‘The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed’ and ‘The First Biography of Jesus: Genre and Meaning in Mark’s Gospel.’ Helen writes: “I’m interested in all aspects of early Christianity and the social, cultural and religious context in which it emerged. My most recent work has been on Mark’s Gospel, the earliest biography of Jesus. I’m fascinated by why a follower of Jesus thought to write a biography of his master, what the use of the biographical form indicates about the way in which he saw Jesus, and how Mark’s work compares with other ancient biographies.” She also hosts the Biblical Time Machine Podcast (with the amazing Dave Roos). Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323 Listen on Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/show/7cNljZzhe4w3zL9t0MaOZH?si=9G0vB9NVRDe5XZZVDfOGVg