Abstract:
Though not explicitly identified as a prophet in the Bible, Mary has long been understood as one. By developing a description of prophethood and examining how Mary is characterized in the Lukan infancy narrative, this essay contends that Luke characterizes her as a prophet. The author first explores first century Greco-Roman and Jewish understandings of prophecy. He then situates Mary beside later theological conceptions of prophecy. This works toward a thorough description of prophecy beside which the biblical text can be read. Drawing especially on feminist interpretations of Mary, the author shows how the intertext parallels Mary alongside prophets from the Hebrew Bible as well as other prophetic characters within the Lukan infancy narrative. The paper concludes with practical considerations for how contemporary churches can recognize prophets.
The full paper is attached to this post.
