From Publishers Weekly
Western Christians may feel safe from being called to die for their faith, but Hovey (adjunct professor at the University of Redlands and Fuller Theological Seminary) explores the Gospel of Mark to find evidence that every church is meant to be a martyr-church. For Hovey, all Christians [should] refuse to relegate the threat of martyrdom to the fringes of history or remote parts of the globe. A martyr-church is one in which members acknowledge the essential opposition of the church to the world and the possibility that they, too, may die in Christian witness. In a dense theological inquiry, Hovey uses the events in Mark to demonstrate that martyrdom is an inextricable feature of the Christian message. Hovey's inaccessible writing doesn't draw on the lived experiences of actual Christians in danger or analyze the differing relations between the church and the principalities and powers around the world. By not engaging nonspecialist readers or considering the real-life contexts of martyrdom, Hovey has probably limited his book's appeal to fellow theologians.
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From the Back Cover
"This is the most elegant theological reading of Mark I have encountered in the last twenty years, and a compelling meditation on a subject most first world Christians prefer to avoid. A model for how Christian theology (and practice!) should be grounded in the gospel story."--Ched Myers, author of Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus"In taut prose, Hovey unpacks the logic of Mark's Gospel, and helps the church discern what God is doing in history, both in Mark's day and in our own. This book is lean, penetrating, and wise. Every page rewards the reader with fresh insight."--William T. Cavanaugh, University of St. Thomas"Craig Hovey digs deep into the heart of Mark's truth, and finds a seam on which there are riches of theological, spiritual, and exegetical profundity. Only a scholar on a trajectory of radical discipleship yet at ease with the practical meaning of theological discourse could write such a book."--Samuel Wells, Duke University"A profound reflection on Mark's Gospel. These timely and poignant words encourage Christians to think about what it means to be a martyred church. Hovey offers a biblical vision of a non-instrumental martyrdom, which can point, witness, and testify to the truth of Jesus Christ. I recommend this remarkable book to any person interested in what it really means to live and to die in the body of Christ."--C. C. Pecknold, University of Cambridge"Truly an extraordinary book. Readers should delight in the sudden insights and revelatory turns of thought that appear on every page."--Robert Jenson, St. Olaf's College"Costly witness to the truth, seeing things with discernment shaped by the Holy Spirit, and living as Christians alert to the radical call of Jesus Christ: these are matters at the heart of Mark's Gospel and of this gripping, perceptive book. It refreshes faith from its deepest sources."--David Ford, University of Cambridge"This book does nothing less than to help Christians negotiate a culture determined by the belief we can get out of life alive. Hopefully it will be read widely."--Stanley Hauerwas, author of Resident Aliens: Life in Christian Colony
