Reception of Jesus as healer in Mark’s community

This study traces the manner in which the evangelist Mark presents Jesus as a healer. While this is the primary focus, I am also interested, from an identity perspective, in why Mark is keen to present Jesus as the best physician. Healers during the 1st century were varied. Cities had professional h...

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Published in:Hervormde teologiese studies Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 1 - 5
Main Author: Dube, Zorodzai
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 30.07.2018
African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
Reformed Theological College of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria and Society for Practical Theology in South Africa
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ISSN:0259-9422, 2072-8050, 2072-8050
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Abstract This study traces the manner in which the evangelist Mark presents Jesus as a healer. While this is the primary focus, I am also interested, from an identity perspective, in why Mark is keen to present Jesus as the best physician. Healers during the 1st century were varied. Cities had professional healers with great knowledge of the Greek Hippocratic tradition. The entire empire had famous temples of Asclepius and Apollo. Common people had diverse knowledge about various illnesses with remedies varying from herbs to exorcisms. Amidst all this and located in southern Syria in the northern regions of Galilee, Mark presents Jesus as a healer. The study concludes that Mark presents Jesus as an efficient healer with great power and authority. Though Mark is mute regarding other healers such as Asclepius and Apollo, near whose temples patients would sleep for days waiting for healing, he wants to remind the adherents of Jesus’ movement that they are following a great physician. A few selected stories from Mark’s gospel illustrate this argument.
AbstractList This study traces the manner in which the evangelist Mark presents Jesus as a healer. While this is the primary focus, I am also interested, from an identity perspective, in why Mark is keen to present Jesus as the best physician. Healers during the 1st century were varied. Cities had professional healers with great knowledge of the Greek Hippocratic tradition. The entire empire had famous temples of Asclepius and Apollo. Common people had diverse knowledge about various illnesses with remedies varying from herbs to exorcisms. Amidst all this and located in southern Syria in the northern regions of Galilee, Mark presents Jesus as a healer. The study concludes that Mark presents Jesus as an efficient healer with great power and authority. Though Mark is mute regarding other healers such as Asclepius and Apollo, near whose temples patients would sleep for days waiting for healing, he wants to remind the adherents of Jesus' movement that they are following a great physician. A few selected stories from Mark's gospel illustrate this argument.
Audience Academic
Author Dube, Zorodzai
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Cites_doi 10.4102/hts.v74i1.4925
10.5040/bci-000f
10.1353/book.3348
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Copyright COPYRIGHT 2018 African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
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Mark, Pope
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Snippet This study traces the manner in which the evangelist Mark presents Jesus as a healer. While this is the primary focus, I am also interested, from an identity...
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SubjectTerms Apostles
Exorcism
Folk Healers
Healing
Jesus
Jesus Christ
Leprosy
Mark, Pope
Power
Religion
Religious aspects
Social aspects
Works
Title Reception of Jesus as healer in Mark’s community
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