Naming the Dog: Another Asian Reading of Mark 7:24–30

Abstract

The difficult episode involving the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24–30; par. Matt 15:21–28) presents an image of Jesus that is not only unwelcoming, but also offensive. After a survey of traditional interpretations designed to defend Jesus from charges of bias and an examination of the contributions of newer Asian, post-colonialist, and feminist approaches, this article suggests that neither the woman's gender nor race provide the hermeneutical key to understanding this passage. Instead, the incident represents Jesus' encounter with oppressive Gentile economic power.