This book tries to reread the ideological and theological dimensions intrinsic to the Markan Gospel, presupposing that such understanding of the image of Christian identity in its origin would facilitate one to understand further the socio-historical situations of the Markan community. This work, for this purpose, enables one to journey through a brief survey of Markan scholarship regarding the Markan community and to taste the use of social-scientific models and narrative approach to the text in its interpretation. Hence this book offers a methodological contribution to the Markan scholarship. The illustration of the social identity description of the Markan gospel by way of treating the theme of discipleship and decoding the Markan characterization in a simple and intelligible language, indeed respect the popular readership and their passion for living an authentic Christian life in today's turbulent world. In this way, this book serves both the ordinary Christian believers as an attitudinal guide to get their lives transformed as authentic disciples of Jesus and for any serious student of the Markan gospel as motivational guide in her/his inquisitiveness.

Contents

Foreword-I

Foreword-II

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Audience of Mark : A Brief Survey on Scholarly Viewpoints

2. Text, Identity and Hermeneutical Methods

3. Discipleship and Identity Descriptors

4. Characterization and Identity Descriptors

5. Imaging Christian Identity and Markan Community

Conclusion

Bibliography

Dr. Cyprian E. Fernandez holds Master's Degree and Doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Salamanca, Spain. He also holds Master's Degree in Psychology (M.Sc.) from the Madras University. He is the author of `Identity in Conflict: A Socio-rhetorical Reading of the Markan Story of Jesus. He is teacher of the New Testament in the Pontifical Institute of Alwaye, Kerala. He is a catholic priest of the Diocese of Quilon.