T&T Clark Disorderly Women and the Order of God: An Australian Feminist Reading of the Gospel of Mark

Michele A. Connolly reads the Gospel of Mark through a postcolonial, feminist lens. Post-colonial analysis links the Gospel of Mark, produced in the context of the Roman Empire with contemporary Australia, established initially as a colony of the British Empire. Feminist analysis of texts from two foundational events in Australian colonial history reveals that women in such texts tend to be marginalised, silenced and denigrated, because imperialist sexism, both ancient and modern, perceives women as a threat to the order that males alone can impose on the world. The Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus bringing the order of the Reign of God to combat the disorder of apocalyptic evil. Jesus task is a markedly male project against which 11 female characters are portrayed as disorderly distractions who are managed by being marginalised, silenced and denigrated.This contradicts Jesus message of mutual service and non-domination. In his death under apocalyptic power, Jesus is depicted as isolated, silenced and denigrated.This subtly associates femaleness with chaos, failure and disgrace.