Includes bibliographies (pages 323-370) and indexes.

Print version record.

Part 1. Postcolonial theory and the Bible. Postcolonial theory -- Postcolonial criticism in biblical studies -- Part 2. Mark in European colonialism. Modern biblical studies and empire -- The Semitic and the Greek (1:1) -- Between man and brute (5:1-20) -- Submissive heathen and superior Greek (7:24-30) -- The embarrassing Parousia (8:31-9:1) -- "Only absolutely spiritual" (11:1-11) -- An Irish cat among the pigeons (12:13-17) -- The centurion between East and West (15:39) -- Conclusion: Mark and European colonialism -- Part 3. Mark in the Roman Empire. Mark begins to circulate -- An oppositional beginning (1:1) -- Imperial satire (5:1-20) -- Entering a narrative crisis (7:24-30) -- The Parousia as pharmakon (8:31-9:1) -- With Bhabha at the Jerusalem city gates (11:1-22) -- The emperor breaks the surface (12:13-17) -- The secrecy complex as a third space (15:39) -- How Mark destabilizes empire -- Part 4. Uninheriting a colonial heritage. Different Marks in different empires.

This inventive work explores Mark's Gospel within the contexts of the empires of Rome and Europe. In a unique dual analysis, the book highlights how empire is not only part of the past but also of a present colonial heritage. The book first outlines postcolonial criticism and discusses the challenges it poses for biblical scholarship, then scrutinizes the complex ways with which nineteenth-century commentaries on Mark's Gospel interplayed with the formation of European colonial identities. It examines the stance of Mark's Gospel vis-à-vis the Roman Empire and analyzes the manner in which the fibers of empire within Mark are interwoven, reproduced, negotiated, modified and subverted. Finally, it offers synthesizing suggestions for bringing Mark beyond a colonial heritage. The book's candid use of postcolonial criticism illustrates how a contemporary perspective can illuminate and shed new light on an ancient text in its imperial setting. (from the publisher).