Beyond Mary or Martha

Jennifer S. Wyant examines the varied interpretations, debates, and the reception of the story of Mary and Martha of Bethany. Beginning with their first encounter with Jesus in Luke 10:38-42 and moving through the patristic, medieval, and modern periods, Wyant tracks how Mary and Martha both became paradigms of discipleship, revealing the inherent tension within Christianity between more contemplative works and acts of service. By placing ancient debates alongside more modern ones, she argues that contrary to the common discussions today among academic and the church circles gender is not the most important aspect of their story.