Women and Jesus in Mark

by Kinukawa, Hisako; Russell, Letty M.

• ISBN13: 9781592444342
• ISBN10: 1592444342
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-08
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Pub

Summary

From her unique position as a Japanese feminist theologian, Hisako Kinukawa provides readers with an intriguing new perspective on the encounters between women and Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. 'Women and Jesus in Mark' explores the meaning not only of those episodes in their context, but from the perspective of the author's own context as a contemporary Japanese Christian.In the world of the New Testament, impenetrable walls of religion and culture separated the sexes and structured a rigidly patriarchal culture. As 'Women and Jesus in Mark' points out, then, the women who approached Jesus--the hemorrhaging woman, the Syrophoenician woman, the anointing woman, as well as those who followed him--risked severe sanction for what must have been considered scandalous behavior. Kinukawa asks how their encounters with Jesus--and especially his responses--reflect the central message of Mark. 'Women and Jesus in Mark' contends that it is the interaction of biblical women with Jesus that draws from him the most fully liberating implications of the gospel.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Introduction	p. 1
One Approach to Mark	p. 4
Patriarchy in Japan	p. 15
A Second Approach to Mark: Critical Rhetorical Studies	p. 22
The Hemorrhaging Woman (5:25-34)	p. 29
Patriarchal Discrimination against Women Reinforced by Religion: The Polluted	p. 29
My Perspective	p. 32
The Hemorrhaging Woman as Outcast	p. 33
The Polluted: Society's Label	p. 39
The Hemorrhaging Woman as Volitional Agent	p. 40
Japan: The Outcasts Who Touched Churches	p. 44
The Hemorrhaging Woman as Challenger of Authority	p. 45
The Syrophoenician Woman (7:24-30)	p. 51
Cultic Purity	p. 51
Mark's Cross-racial Community	p. 52
Jesus Tries To Hide from the Crowd: The Woman's Unexpected Behavior	p. 54
Jesus' Response to the Woman	p. 55
The Woman's Persistence	p. 58
Interaction between the Woman and Jesus	p. 59
Parallels with Japan	p. 61
The Poor Widow (12:41-44)	p. 66
The Social Background	p. 66
Jesus' Reproach to the Scribes (12:40)	p. 68
The Poor Widow	p. 70
The Anointing Woman (14:3-9)	p. 78
Form-Critical Observations	p. 78
Mark as Editor	p. 79
The Story	p. 81
Women Disciples of Jesus (15:40-41; 15:47; 16:1)	p. 90
Women at Jesus' Death and Resurrection	p. 91
The Three Named Women as Disciples (15:40-41)	p. 93
Mark's Threefold Teaching on Discipleship (8:34-38; 9:35-37; 10:42-45)	p. 96
Excursus: Simon's Mother-in-Law (1:29-31)	p. 102
Women as True Disciples?	p. 105
The Empty Tomb (16:1-8)	p. 107
How Mark Constructs His Story	p. 107
The Women's Silence	p. 112
Divorce, Prostitution, and Adultery	p. 123
Legal Aspects of Patriarchal Society	p. 123
Prostitution and Adultery in the Gospels	p. 130
Jesus' Revision of the Concept of Adultery	p. 133
A Contemporary Issue: Japan's International Slave Trade	p. 135
Conclusion	p. 138
The Nature of the Interactions	p. 138
Jesus Revealed as Life-giving	p. 140
The Good News: Liberating or Threatening	p. 141
Mark's Purpose for Writing	p. 142
Markan Discipleship	p. 143
The Challenge to Women	p. 143
Bibliography	p. 145
Index	p. 153
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.