The Reign of God is Such as These: A Socio-Literary Analysis of Daughters in the Gospel of Mark

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This is a new analysis of the 'daughters' in the Gospel of Mark . Betsworth analyzes the 'daughters' in the Gospel of Mark : the woman from the crowd - whom Jesus calls daughter, Jairus' daughter (5:21-43), Herodias' daughter (6:14-29), and the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman (7:24-30). To demonstrate how the Gospel's first century audience may have heard these stories, Betsworth begins by examining 'daughters' in their ancient Mediterranean context. Betsworth then considers representations of daughters in select texts from the Septuagint and Greco-Roman literature - from the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E. to the second century C.E. Although these depictions seem to be in contrast to the social-historical construction of daughters, Betsworth shows that in many ways the literary portrayals of daughters function to uphold the values of Greco-Roman culture - especially those of virginity before and faithfulness in marriage. These two lines of enquiry undergird Betsworth's investigation. From it she is able to show that the 'daughters' in the Gospel uphold the values of the 'reign of God', as an integral part of the Gospel's inclusive social vision of God's reign. This title was formerly the Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement , a book series that explores the many aspects of New Testament study including historical perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and theological, cultural and contextual approaches.

Reviews

Overall, Betsworth's analyses are logical. This book is an interesting examination of the topic at hand from a different methodological perspective. -- Studies in Religion/ Sciences Religieuses
... an excellent, enjoyable and important study. -- Journal for the Study of The New Testament, Volume 33 Number 5
This work will benefit upper level students and researchers as well as professors. Without hesitation, I would recommend this book to all serious Markan exegetes and college, university and, seminary libraries alike. -- Religious Studies Review, Vol. 37, Issue 4
Sharon Betsworth offers a socio-literary analysis of daughters in the gospel of Mark that demonstrates how the four stories involving daughters in Mark 5-7 communicate the inclusive nature of the reign of God and characterise Jesus as the Son of God. In order to place the gospel in historical context, she examines both the legal and the social standing of daughters in the Greco-Roman world and their literary representation... I am impressed with the careful reading and the interconnections that she enumerates among the daughter stories. This work will contribute to the study of the gospel of Mark. -- Victoria Phillips, West Virginia Wesleyan College, USA * Modern Believing *

Author Bio

Sharon Betsworth is the Associate Professor of New Testament at Oklahoma City University, in Oklahoma City, USA.