The Possession of Jesus


This article reads Jesus’ baptism in Mark as an experience of possession akin to that of the demoniacs. It suggests several possible readings of Mark in light of this baptismal possession: (1) as a story of heavenly rape similar to that of the Lukan Mary’s overshadowing by the spirit; (2) as a story...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Walsh, Richard G. 1955- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2016
In: Biblical interpretation
Year: 2016, Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 60-80
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
NBF Christology
NBG Pneumatology; Holy Spirit
NBH Angelology; demonology
Further subjects:B Demonology
B Baptism
B New Testament
 Mark
 baptism
 horror
 possession
 Bible films

Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This article reads Jesus’ baptism in Mark as an experience of possession akin to that of the demoniacs. It suggests several possible readings of Mark in light of this baptismal possession: (1) as a story of heavenly rape similar to that of the Lukan Mary’s overshadowing by the spirit; (2) as a story like the possessed of cinematic horror; (3) as a story of a colonial holy warrior’s enthusing possession by the spirit and subsequent dispossession and failure vis-à-vis empire; and (4) as a story of one entrapped by an obsessive script. The readings’ cumulative effect is a different perspective on the Markan Jesus’ first and last words – the announcement of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14) and his final lament (15:34, 37) – than is common in Markan scholarship. The sayings become descriptions of Jesus’ possession and the subsequent loss of that spirit.

Physical Description:Online-Ressource
ISSN:1568-5152
Contains:In: Biblical interpretation
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685152-00241p05