WOMEN IN THE FINAL SCENES OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK: NARRATIVE, DISCOURSE AND THEOLOGY

Abstract

The article analyzes the presence of women in the last scenes of Je­sus' life, death and resurrection, as narrated in the Gospel of Mark. Based on the pericope 15, 40-16, 8, it aims to reconstruct women's participation and importance in the movement of Jesus and in the organization of Christian communities during the first century. It also intends to evidence the attempts to silence those women and make them invisible. The exegetical methodology used in this bibliographi­cal research incorporates elements of narratology and discourse analysis, together with feminist hermeneutics. The research shows that, at the end of Mark's Gospel, women had been given unique authority and were probably among the leaders of the Markan community. It is theologically significant to realize that the women's motivation, dedication and fidelity in the praxis of faith followed Jesus' own action, which meant for them acceptance, healing, liberation and recognition.