Mothers in mark: A socio-literary exploration of maternal imagery and the value-reproductive role of mothers in the Gospel of Mark

This dissertation examines the role of mothers in the Gospel of Mark through a reading of that text using socio-historical and narrative methods. I argue that the mothers in the Gospel may be understood as important characters that contribute significantly to the message and purpose of the text as a whole. My thesis is that the mother characters in the Gospel embody the values of the Kingdom of God, a central theme found in the teachings of Jesus recorded in Mark. Unlike some ancient literature that refers to mothers especially in terms of their biological capabilities to reproduce children, the Gospel of Mark portrays mothers as more than simply biological instruments. Rather, they are endowed with the capacity to reproduce Kingdom values and ministry not only in their biological offspring, but also beyond the narrative among those in Mark's audience. Mark's use of maternal and reproductive imagery throughout the narrative, not only in connection to maternal characters, suggests that maternity plays a vital, if redefined, role in the Gospel. Motherhood, though appreciated, can nonetheless pose a threat to the ideological message of the Gospel, and thus, Mark subtly redefines reproduction in spiritual terms. In this way, the mothers in the Gospel and the maternal duties they assume perpetuate the Kingdom of God. Given the frequent depiction of this Kingdom in relation to seed and reproductive metaphors, I argue that the mothers in Mark can ultimately be understood as agents of growth within the Gospel.