Mark and Mystery‪.‬

In 1983 Robert H. Smith wrote a book on the Resurrection Gospels, (1) summarizing decades and even centuries of research and offering a solid basis for understanding those key texts of Christian faith. The book has withstood the ravages of time very well indeed. My present purpose is to look back at that book and its content, as regards the ending of Mark, and to reflect on its conclusions in light of some recent work in theology, and particularly mystical theology. Easter Gospels was itself a reflective view of the biblical material, sacrificing nothing in historical-critical acuity but keeping the faith character of the Gospels always to the fore. Before examining the text of Mark's ending, Smith considered the context in which and to which the Gospel was written--the situation of Christians in persecution, whether in Palestine or in Rome, of in some other place(s). He concluded that Mark's Gospel is "a fresh and profound interpretation of the Christian tradition, emphasizing the parallels between [first-century Christians'] own experience and that of Jesus. In his portrait of Jesus, Mark emphasizes both Jesus' sonship and his forsakenness." (2) It is that dual focus in Mark that has so profoundly interested most readers, and this is a point to which I will return.