The Role of Mary in the Infancy Narrative of Luke (original) (raw)
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Mary in the Apostolic Church in the Light of the Lucan Writings
The Biblical Annals
Lukan Mariology does not present a holistic picture of Jesus’ Mother, although no doubt it is fundamentally important for the narrative of Luke-Acts. The Infancy Narrative and the three further traditions disseminated in the main bulk of the Lukan work (Lk 8:21; 11:27-28; Acts 1:14) show that her person cannot be limited to her faith or motherhood only. The author of the third Gospel composed a careful set of scenes in order to share with his readers much fuller picture of Mary. Being a Mother of the Lord, she is also a disciple following God’s will and the teaching of her Son. In this study the author is looking for some fresh insights from the text applying methodology presented recently by C. Bennema and other scholars interested in the Gospels’ characters and their characterisation.
RERUM: Journal of Biblical Practice, 2021
In this day and age, the discussion about women is never-ending and is still a polemic for some people. The position of women who sit lower than men is still a matter in society. There are even some parts of society that restrict women from carrying out their roles only in the domestic sphere, namely only carrying out their roles as a wife and mother in the household. Not only in the community but also in the church environment where women are still weak and do not have a position in the church so that women do not have the same rights and obligations as men. Therefore, women do not have the space to appear in public and are very basic and even not allowed at all. The author conducted this research intending to take the text about women in the Gospel of Luke chapters 1 - 2 through the figures of Mary and Elizabeth. The author uses the narrative critical method by focusing his attention on the characters, plot, setting, and point of view. By using this method, it is hoped that we will get an understanding – both theory and implication in practical living that women also have a very important role in the work of mankind's salvation. God can use women to take part in the declaration of his plan in the world, the effort to save mankind. Therefore, women do not need to think of themselves as inferior to men. Keywords: Woman, Mary and Elizabeth, Luke 1–2
Exegetical analyses and spiritual readings of the story of the annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
Acta Theologica, 2011
In this paper, four readings of Luke 1:26-38 are presented, together with evaluations regarding their possibilities for spirituality. The first reading is that of Lohfink. In his approach, the focus falls mainly on Jesus. Hardly any attention is accorded to the other characters: God, Gabriel and Mary. The second reading offers analyses in terms of which Mary is viewed as a prototype of liberation spirituality. This reading is informed by semiotic analysis and the sociology of literature. The third reading, which is based on narrative criticism, focuses on what happens to the characters of the story. The fourth reading is an intertextual one, which shows how the quotation of Gen 18:14 becomes an expression of one of the specific topics relating to the spirituality of the Gospel of Luke. The conclusion is that it is not the use of a specific method that is decisive for spirituality, but rather the openness of the researcher. 1 Some parts of this paper have been published before as Welzen (2003).
The infancy narratives of the canonical Gospels, found only in Matthew and Luke, relate the stories of Jesus' birth (Luke also narrates the birth of John the Baptist). With regard to Jesus' birth, Matthew and Luke's renderings differ from each other on nearly every detail, save for a few points of agreement. These points are: Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the virginal conception, the identity of Jesus' parents as Mary and Joseph, and the place of Jesus' rearing/home town as Nazareth. 1 The narratives present more of a theological interpretation than they do historical information. 2 They function as prologues to the main Gospels of Matthew and Luke. 3 The main theological point that both evangelists present in their infancy narratives -as relates to Jesus since he is the focus -run throughout the rest of their Gospels: Jesus was divine, and, the purpose of his life was to offer salvation to Israel and all humanity. 4 It is estimated that Matthew's Gospel was written sometime between AD 80 and 90 (plus or minus a decade in either direction), and Luke's Gospel was written circa AD 85, with a five to ten year window in both directions. 5
Mary Magdalene in the Four Gospels
Louvain Studies, 2007
The aim of this article is to give a comprehensive exegetical analysis of the presentation of Mary Magdalene in the four gospels. Our redaction-critical study focuses on the diverse presentations of Mary Magdalene as a follower, a witness, a care-giver/provider, someone who is cured of demons and as a witness of the first resurrection appearance. We provide a synopsis of all the passages in the NT where Mary Magdalene is mentioned (in English) to assist the reader in verifying the similarities and the differences between the versions of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Using redaction-critical, literary-critical and feminist-critical methods, we try to uncover the reasons why the four evangelists each develop their own image of Mary Magdalene. 1. We are grateful to the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders in Brussels (FWO) for the research grant "Mary Magdalene and the touching of Jesus: An intra-and interdisciplinary investigation of the interpretation of John 20:17 in exegesis, iconography and pastoral care." The research and writing of the present article is a part of this project.