Contested Temple Space and Visionary Kingdom Space in Mark 11-12

Abstract

AbstractIn Mark 11-12 sacred space is being reformulated in a way that does not emphasize the central role of the Jerusalem temple. The action and teachings which are placed in the temple in the narrative show a conflict of values, making the temple a contested space. Mark's Gospel is part of the shaping of these ideas, and though not fully worked out in a comprehensive spatial worldview, the notion of the kingdom of God and the heavenly location of God as Father suggest a visionary space to which followers might order and orient their lives. It is out of this conflict of values that new notions of sacred space are able to emerge.