A trend that has been popping up in the Christian scene over the past couple years has been to take one of the four gospels (or the overall Gospel story) and craft an epic album based on Jesus' life. Joining the table from an unlikely direction is roots gospel artist (or rock 'n' soul, as he terms it) Mark D. Conklin. A music executive turned singer/songwriter, Conklin decided to follow up his 2020 EP Starting Over with a more ambitious project. The Gospel According to Mark is, on one hand, a clever play on words, but also a literal walkthrough of the shortest gospel. Grammy-winning artist Gloria Gaynor serves as narrator, reading selected passages from Mark before the other Mark launches into a song inspired by that passage, often joined by a wide array of artists who also have their own Grammy success stories. The result is a 24-track album that only clocks in at a little over an hour, serving as a snappy journey through what some theologians call the "action gospel."

The way this reviewer has heard most people tackle the life of Jesus is to retell the story in music-form. Conklin goes in a slightly different direction. While Gaynor's readings serve to let the listener know where they're at in the gospel, the songs themselves don't always hold to the narrative. Probably half of the tunes try to condense an application from the passage into a 3-4 minute song. A track like "Into the River" takes its cue from Jesus' baptism, while the song itself personalizes it as a metaphor of letting go of worries to embrace Christ. "Through the Storm" is another standout, taking Jesus calming the raging sea and noting how He brings us through our storms today. "Devil in the Temple" actually takes the story of Jesus casting out the money changers in the temple and puts an apocalyptic spin on it. Other songs, like "Make Way" or "Rise (Faith of Jairus)," are more closely linked to their corresponding verses. The overall more applicational approach of Conklin to these passages works in the album's favor. Straight retellings are harder to pull off, but focusing on what we can learn from each passage makes The Gospel more accessible.

The music is potentially where some people might turn away from this project. Southern Gospel as a style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but give credit to Conklin for finding ways to keep the sound fresh and engaging throughout the record. The first couple of musical tracks ("Make Way" and "Into the River") follow the typical Southern Gospel trajectory, but with "The Calling," Conklin introduces some flavor to the mix. Rather than starting off with full bombastic force, Conklin lets the track slowly build from a reverberating electric guitar and choir to a fuller sound. "Through the Storm," meanwhile, introduces some funk influence in the grooves of the drums and horn section. Other standouts include the darker "Devil in the Temple" (which does have the lead vocalist declaring, "Damn you, devil!" in the chorus), and the contemplative and vulnerable "Take This Cup." Going back to the comment that started this paragraph, I'm the type of listener who would put Gospel music on the edge of what I tolerate. That said, Conklin won me over in appreciating the genre by using such a wide mix of elements. The hosts of guest vocalists also help to give the record more electric energy than it would've had otherwise.

In one sense, using the Southern Gospel genre to retell the Gospel story feels like a natural choice. Yet, it seems that a longer concept album like The Gospel According to Mark is not par for the course. Mark D. Conklin's ambitious effort pays off, though, as his deft songwriting and organization help put together a memorable experience. Gloria Gaynor's narration also plays a huge role in making the overall pieces fit together. I don't typically think of this genre as one for innovation, and yet Conklin's The Gospel According to Mark proves to be a standout among other recent gospel-centered long form projects. Even if the genre isn't your normal cup of tea, this is still a journey worth considering.