The Interruption of Patriarchal Calculation by the Unnamed Female Other in Mark 14:3–9

Abstract

In this article I examine the pericope of the unnamed woman who anoints Jesus in Mark 14:3–9 in an effort to reveal how the narrative interrupts the dominance of patriarchal calculation. Engaging critical methods, especially literary criticism, I draw out two central themes of Mark's Gospel: the difference of how people respond to Jesus (uncalculating awe versus calculating dismissal) and the nature of authority. These themes enable a reading of the unnamed woman's act that is meaningful for both feminist concerns and interreligious dialogue. It is meaningful for feminist concerns because the woman assumes the role of a paragon apostle by revealing the true heart of authority when she interrupts the calculation of men grasping for power. It is meaningful for interreligious dialogue because the woman is an outsider without name or title who both represents and expands the gospel and thereby opens a space for other outsiders without name and title.