Hallur Mortensen analyses the concept of God in Mark by emphasizing the relation of the baptism in 1:9-11 with the coming of the Lord, the gospel, and the kingdom of God in 1:2-3 and 1:14-15. The divine voice, its content, and the descent of the Spirit reveal the identity of Jesus, God, and the Spirit and are examined in the context of Jewish monotheism and Hans Frei's intention-action description of identity.

Hallur Mortensen examines the concept of God in Mark's Gospel, with particular emphasis on the baptismal scene of 1:9-11. This he closely relates to the beginning and end of the prologue (1:2-3 and 1:14-15) concerning the coming of the Lord, the gospel, and the kingdom of God. The allusions of the divine voice to Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42 reveal the function and identity of Jesus as the Son of God and thus also of God as the father of Jesus. The identity and descent of the Spirit at the baptism as an anointing is discussed in detail, and has a critical function in the coming of the kingdom and the defeat of Satan. These aspects are examined in the context of Jewish monotheism and what Hans W. Frei calls the "intention-action description" of identity - that 'being' is constituted by 'action' - and Mortensen thus argues that Mark's Gospel portrays a proto- and narrative trinitarian conception of God.

Autorentext
Born 1981; 2007 BA (Hons) ICC/University of Aberdeen; 2008 MLitt University of St Andrews; 2009 MTh University of Edinburgh; 2018 PhD Durham University; previously lecturer at Peter Achimugu College of Theology, Nigeria; currently with Operation Mobilization in Japan.