This dissertation examines the interpretation of the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany in the West from the earliest telling to the early sixteenth century. It begins by exploring the biblical texts from which later understandings were drawn. After examining the interpretations of two early Greek commentators, it traces the emergence of a paradigmatic way of telling about the characters in the patristic period. This paradigm dominated the medieval West, and was first challenged seriously when the Renaissance humanists began returning to the sources in the second decade of the sixteenth century. / Fully developed, the paradigmatic story of the Bethany family shaped the description of the characters, the narrative, and the application of the story to the life of the faithful. Dominating the medieval paradigm was the combination of Mary of Bethany with two other characters from the Gospel accounts: Mary Magdalene and the unnamed woman of great sin. In its fully developed form, the paradigm elaborated the character of this conflated Mary and enhanced her importance, correspondingly reducing the importance of Martha and Lazarus. Lessons drawn from the conflated figure know as Mary Magdalene concerned Mary as an example of the Christian penitent and a sign of the power of grace to convert even the most craven of sinners. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: A, page: 2424. / Major Professor: Walter Moore. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76654 |
| Contributors | McVoy, Heather Jo., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 260 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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