Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 35:4 (Autumn 2021)
Article: Whose Wife Will She Be? A Feminist Interpretation Of Luke 20:27–38
Author: Anna Beresford

PP 35:4 (Autumn 2021) p. 6

Whose Wife Will She Be? A Feminist Interpretation Of Luke 20:27–38

Anna Beresford

Anna Beresford holds an MTh from Charles Sturt University and works as a chaplain in a psychiatric hospital. She and her husband, Tom, live in Sydney, Australia.

The story of the woman who had seven husbands has traditionally been interpreted by focussing on the thoughts, words, and intentions of the male characters only, namely, the Sadducees and Jesus. Commentators have questioned the motivation of the Sadducees in bringing this problem to Jesus, and Jesus’s response has been seen as merely a defence of bodily resurrection and a correction of the Sadducees’s limited understanding of the Scriptures.

The question itself (whose wife shall she be?) has been discounted as irrelevant to the meaning of the story, a reductio ad absurdum, much like the question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. In fact, however, this question and the light it shines on the life of the silent, unnamed woman holds the key to understanding this passage. What is life like for this woman; what does it mean to be like an angel; what will life be like in the resurrection; when does resurrection life begin?

This article will argue that a feminist interpretation of this passage can answer these questions. In so doing, it will be made clear that, in the kingdom of God, women are not to be viewed or treated as property, and also that the “emancipation” of one part of society must not mean the subjugation of another. This story, properly understood, emphasises the equality of men and women in God’s sight, the love of God, the power of the kingdom, and the qualities of resurrection life.

The Portrayal Of Women In Luke-Acts

Over recent years, with the advent of feminist theology, there has been considerable debate concerning the portrayal of women in Luke-Acts. Opinions are diametrically opposed, with some commentators believing Luke-Acts to champion women’s rights, while others decry the books as an example of how women were subjugated in the early church. What follows is a brief summary of some of the arguments. I have grouped them under four sub-headings (although there is some overlap): women portrayed as equal to men, women given prominence over men, the ambivalence of the text regarding women, and the silencing and subordination of women.

Women Portrayed As Equal To Men

Jocelyn McWhirter states that, according to Luke, Jesus and those who bore witness to him were prophets in the OT tradition.1 Greg Forbes and Scott Harrower agree, pointing out that, as the Pentecost event was the fulfillment of the prophet Joel’s prophecy that “I will ...