Review of The Transformational Role of Discipleship in Mark 10:13–16

Timpte, Katherine Joy Kihlstrom. The Transformational Role of Discipleship in Mark 10:13–16: Passage towards Childhood. New York: T&T Clark, Bloomsbury, 2023, 176, $39.95, Paperback.

This book adequately engages modern scholarship and provides an extensive study that grants a fresh perspective on Mark’s narrative. While the dense content of this book puts it out of reach of an average Christian, this book exhibits significant value to teachers of the New Testament who can take the findings of Timpte’s work and apply them to their teachings, ministry, and research.

New Testament scholar Katharine Joy Kihlstrom Timpte, professor at Saint Mary’s College of California, specializes in Marcan studies, which she utilizes in her book, The Transformational Role of Discipleship in Mark 10:13–16: Passage towards Childhood. She developed this book from her dissertation project submitted to Princeton Theological Seminary in 2018. The oversight of Timpte’s dissertation committee and her education at Princeton Theological Seminary effectively qualify her scholarly ability to write on Mark’s narrative. Her book examines Mark 10:13–16, which displays Jesus challenging his disciples, informing them that they must become like a child to enter the Kingdom of God. Timpte’s book provides a fresh perspective on this passage that impacts the broader narrative of Mark’s Gospel.

The book maintains a logical flow of thought that builds upon previous sections, leading toward an adequate conclusion. Timpte’s first chapter undertakes an extensive literature review that engages with a history of scholarship on the concept of a child in the Greco-Roman world. Chapter one examines secular sources that stick to historical analysis methodologies to understand the anthropologic concepts of children in this ancient world. She structures her historical literature review with a progression from extra-biblical, to the Hebrew Bible, then the New Testament, and finally the Marcan perspectives on children (2–25).

Chapters two and three closely build upon the previous chapter’s survey of scholarship. Chapter two examines the ancient world’s perspective on children, concluding that they are physically weak, and a child “was known to understand little, betray petty anger, fear, and lack the measured thoughtfulness that was aspired to” (55–56). Tempte notes that individuals within the Hebrew Bible could prize and cherish their children, while society appreciated some positive traits of a child, like their sweet innocence and potential in life. Chapter three engages with the topic of “rite of passage” (57). This topic showcases a transition from a child to an adult. Timpte’s study includes male and female children despite the focus on male children often exhibited by historians and ancient writers.

Chapters four and five pivot engagement from the broad historical analysis of a child to analyzing these concepts within a biblical context. Timpte utilizes chapter four to engage with the previous statements about the “rite of passage,” concerning how to enter the Kingdom of God (87). Chapter five examines what becoming like a child entails for Mark’s narrative. This chapter offers a perspective on Mark 10:13–16 that provides a fresh lens to view the entire narrative of Mark. Her final chapter summarizes her main points and provides areas for further research. Timpte suggests that “understanding the way children were viewed in the ancient world is another helpful lens by which to view Mark’s meaning…The baptism in particular, both in Mark and the other gospels, shows great promise” (139).

Her analysis of Mark’s Gospel in this chapter allows readers to conceptualize and apply her work to the broader narrative of the individual Gospel.

Timpte’s study of becoming like a child presents a substantial study that provides valuable findings for Marcan studies. Her study lays out an ancient expectation of a child and the transformation they undergo in society’s eyes from child to adult (84–85). According to Timpte, Mark presents an inversion of this development and presents an idea that contrasts the historical perspective of a child that encourages his audience to revert to this childlike state (85). She seeks to contribute to the Marcan study of a child by looking beyond maintaining simple innocence to enter God’s Kingdom, showcasing Mark stressing a transformation that leads to total dependence on God (87).

Tempte finds that throughout Mark’s narrative, Jesus presents the ideal disciple as a childlike figure. Additionally, Timpte notes the negative portrayal of the disciples as they try to cling to society’s expectations of adulthood, refusing to change into childlikeness and thus “fail to represent an ideal kingdom member” (100). In contrast, Mark portrays Jesus as the true model for discipleship who exhibits childlike features seen as positive and negative by society (102). Timpte pushes her argument forward by reading Mark through this lens of recognizing Jesus’ childlike traits as the story develops. Mark begins his story with Jesus portraying power and acting as a parent to the disciples’ negative childlike behavior. However, as the story develops, Mark shows Jesus as “consistently displaying dependence on God, humility, and filial piety toward God” (103). Jesus obeys his Father and does his will. When Christ died in Mark’s Gospel, it represented a death like the death of a child, where the potential of that person ends (135). Mark ends his Gospel, allowing for ambiguity as the readers do not see the resurrection and instead see the disciples as children left with much potential (135–136).

Still speaking to the positives of the volume, Timpte’s methodology appears to pivot between chapters. While her historical analysis of Mark’s context remains paramount for this study, she adds parallels to Mark 10:13–16 that she highlights as Matthew 19:13–15, Matthew 18:1–5, Luke 18:15–17, and John 3:3–10 (91–95). While these parallels draw a biblical conception of how Mark’s Gospel uniquely portrays the narrative of becoming childlike, these parallels seem to take attention away from the narrative of Mark and seemingly examine the concept of child for the entire New Testament rather than just Mark’s narrative. Chapter five sticks to a close narrative critical methodology that analyzes the entirety of the Gospel of Mark. Her analysis of Mark’s Gospel in this chapter allows readers to conceptualize and apply her work to the broader narrative of the individual Gospel. Overall, her methodologies remain effective; however, clear distinctions on the scope of her study could benefit the reading comprehension of her work.

This book presents readers with an intricate contribution to Marcan studies. Timpte’s discussion analyzes key elements to build an understanding of discipleship in Mark’s Gospel and how a true disciple must become childlike to enter the Kingdom of God. She engages substantially with the Greek text, providing translations throughout her work that allow readers unfamiliar with the language to appreciate her study. Students focusing on New Testament studies, specifically the Gospels, would find value in Timpte’s scholarship on becoming childlike in Mark’s narrative. Her contributions to Marcan studies effectively create a deeper appreciation for the narrative composition of how Mark presents Jesus.

Finally, Timpte’s concluding chapter provides areas for future studies regarding transforming into childlikeness to enter the Kingdom of God (140–141). Therefore, scholars of the New Testament and Gospels would appreciate the fresh perspectives highlighted in Timpte’s work and perhaps receive inspiration to apply her lens to other areas of the New Testament concerning the Kingdom of God (140). This book adequately engages modern scholarship and provides an extensive study that grants a fresh perspective on Mark’s narrative. While the dense content of this book puts it out of reach of an average Christian, this book exhibits significant value to teachers of the New Testament who can take the findings of Timpte’s work and apply them to their teachings, ministry, and research.