Literary critic Frank Kermode passed away at the age of 90 on 17 August 2010. Kermode was widely regarded as one of the preeminent literary critics of the past one hundred years (see, e.g., his The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction [1967, rev. 2003]), but he also contributed significantly to literary approaches to biblical literature. In addition to publishing in such journals as Semeia, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Journal of Religion, Theology, and Christianity and Literature, Kermode authored The Genesis of Secrecy: On the Interpretation of Narrative (1979), a narrative-theoretical examination of, among other works, the Gospel of Mark. He also co-edited with Robert Alter The Literary Guide to the Bible (1987).

 

For a full obituary, see the New York Times.