The haemorrhaging non-functional woman in Mark 5:25-34 using a healing perspective

Abstract

This research explores the narrative of the haemorrhaging woman in Mark 5:25–34 through multiple interpretive lenses, focusing on its social, cultural, and religious implications. Drawing from the hybrid frameworks of both Social-Scientific Criticism and healing perspectives as primary and secondary methodologies, this study examines how the woman's physical ailment intersects with her social marginalisation within the patriarchal and purity-obsessed society of ancient Israel. The haemorrhaging woman's condition, as described in Leviticus 15:25–30, rendered her ritually impure and socially ostracised, stripping her of agency and social status. This research emphasizes that the healing narrative is not only a physical restoration but also a profound social restoration. Jesus’ intervention challenges the exclusionary cultural norms, offering the woman both physical and social wholeness. The research further highlights the transformative role of faith in overcoming societal barriers and the public nature of healing to affirm the woman's dignity. By analysing the story through these lenses, this study underlines the broader implications of healing in terms of social identity, gender roles, and the intersection of faith, health, and communities