Throughout Christian history, the Gospel of Mark has been the most overlooked and misunderstood of the four canonical gospels within Christianity. Many assume it to be not much more than a condensed, bare-bones summary of the gospels of Matthew or Luke. This is a serious mistake. Mark's narrative is a genuine literary achievement that rewards careful scrutiny. This series of lectures is dedicated to demonstrating exactly why that is the case.

The irony is sharp: Mark depicts a messiah no one around him could understand or recognize, yet readers today often miss the clues embedded right in the text. Over eight lectures, we will dissect the sophisticated and often subtle architecture of this Gospel, bringing to light its rich layers and its provocative thesis: that Jesus embodied a kind of messiah radically different from any prevailing expectation.

Additionally, because the preceptor approaches this text outside the Christian faith tradition, this external perspective allows us to engage with Mark’s narrative not as a matter of doctrine or devotional practice, but as a piece of ancient literature with a unique, unsettling, and enduringly powerful message.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: The Gospel's Opening
	Session 2: The Enigmatic Messiah of Mark
Week 2	Session 3: Jesus’s Proclamation and Parables
	Session 4: The Misunderstood, Suffering Savior
Week 3	Session 5: Curiosities in Mark’s Passion Account
	Session 6: The Eloquent Silence of Mark’s Ending
Week 4	Session 7: Puzzles in the Manuscript Tradition
	Session 8: Investigating Mark’s Author and the Purpose of Writing the Gospel