Due to cultural circumstances of the past, the Bible was written mostly by men about men. Most biblical interpretation over the centuries was also done by men for men. As a result, women's perspectives (including stories about women and/or by women) have often been neglected.
A careful reading of the Gospels, however, uncovers many more stories than we might think in which women play very significant roles. Recovering these stories is one of the most important tasks of "feminist hermeneutics," which everyone can do today, men as well as women.
Although there are more Women
in Luke's Gospel, the Gospel according to John contains several well-known
stories involving prominent female characters, and most of these pericopes
are found only in John:
John | Pericope |
2:1-11 | The Mother of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana, and afterwards going with him to Capernaum |
4:1-42 | The Samaritan Woman at the Well encounters Jesus and later brings others to him |
[8:1-11] | The Adulterous Woman is accused by others but forgiven by Jesus [not originally in John] |
11:1-45 | Martha and Mary ask Jesus to help their brother Lazarus, and express their faith in him |
12:1-8 | Mary of Bethany anoints the feet of Jesus during a dinner, and is defended by Jesus |
19:25b-27 | The Mother of Jesus and other Women are present at the Foot of the Cross |
20:1-2 | Mary Magdalene discovers the Empty Tomb and tells the disciples |
20:11-18 | Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom the Risen Jesus appears |
There are also some shorter references to women and feminine imagery in the Fourth Gospel:
John | Reference |
3:4 | Nicodemus asks about returning to a mother's womb and being born a second time |
3:29 | John (the Baptist) uses an analogy involving a bride and bridegroom |
6:42 | Some Jews claim that they know Jesus' "father and mother" |
9:18-23 | The parents of the Man Born Blind (implicitly also the mother) are questioned by the Pharisees |
12:15 | The Evangelist mentions the "daughter of Zion" while quoting Zech 9:9 |
16:21 | Jesus uses the image of a woman in labor as an analogy for sorrow turning into joy |
18:16-17 | The woman gatekeeper challenges Peter in the courtyard of the High Priest |
Return to the Introductory Materials for the Fourth Gospel
Women in John's Gospel – A Short Bibliography
This page was last updated on
November 29, 2009
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