Customer Reviews

A Master of Surprise

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While I think the title overstates the books emphasis on surprise, I enjoyed reading Professor Juel's rhetorical analysis of the Gospel of Mark. The book is organized into three major sections with about 30 pages committed to providing minimal context and background to support Professor Juel's intriguing analysis. Having read methods books, I concur with the author that this is not a methods book even if it does include some methods background. While the introduction sets needed context, the strength of this book stands out across its six topical chapters and conclusion which is designed to help the reader to understand and improve community, implied reader, and implied audience understanding.

I found Professor Juel's analysis extremely interesting, especially in light of the ongoing narrative lectionary discussions (WWW.workingpreacher.org), and recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand this oldest yet shortest Gospel. I would have preferred, however, a title that better related to the context of this intriguing analysis.

This is a wonderful book: full of insight into the Gospel of Mark. Juel interacts with scholarship on Mark with a light touch. He engages well with a number of issues. Good chapters on Mark 13 ("the little apocalypse") and on Mark's ending.