Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman in Mark

A Narrative-Critical Study

Abstract

The episode of the Syrophoenician woman is one of the most fascinating stories in the gospel traditions. It has been interpreted from many perspectives, not only for its surprising portrayal of Jesus but its depiction of the Gentile woman as a role model. This is a comprehensive narrative analysis of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark, an exploration that takes account of the characters, settings, events, structures, and language, as well as the pervasive Markan themes, stylistic devices, and motifs that thread their way through this episode, along with its place in the Gospel as a whole. The analysis unpacks the meaning of the story while explaining steps to interpret any episode with narrative critical techniques.