Masculinities in the Gospel of Matthew: Joseph, John, Peter, and Judas [Hardcover]

InMasculinities in the Gospel of Matthew: Joseph, John, Peter, and Judas, Kendra A. Mohn examines the masculinity of four figures in Matthews Gospel in light of ancient understandings of masculinity exemplified by Roman emperors and emulated by figures such as Herod the Great and Herod Antipas. Utilizing three criteria common to elite Roman hegemonic expressions of masculinitywealth, divine service, and dominating control over self and othersMohn argues that the nonelites represented by the New Testament texts negotiated ancient expectations of masculinity in a variety of ways that both subverted and upheld Roman imperial ideals. This response to dominant masculinity marked by hegemony has important implications for the understanding of critical concepts such as discipleship and leadership, as well as the expectations for masculinity expressed in contemporary religious contexts.Kendra A. Mohn(PhD, Brite Divinity School) is Lead Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Worth, TX.

This important volume is an exciting entry into Matthean Studies. Dr. Kendra A. Mohn examines the complex Matthean world of gender, power, and divinity by discussing the gendered characterization of Joseph and Herod, John the Baptist and Herod Antipas, Peter, and Judas. Considering factors of service for the divine, self-control, and (lack of) wealth, she argues that the Gospel ambivalently inscribes imperial constructions of dominating masculinity, yet also creates distance from these constructions, even challenging them. The challenge, though, is not sufficient to dislodge divine sanction for the relationship of imperial power and masculinity. Warren Carter, Phillips Theological Seminary

In this welcome contribution to studies of gender in the New Testament, Mohns pivotal work moves beyond teasing out simple constructions of masculinity. It names and identifies ways in which Matthews gospel negotiates, resists, reinterprets, and mimics imperial hegemonic mascl$