The Body and the Blood: A Theological Reinterpretation of the Hemorrhaging Woman

Abstract

Traditional theological understandings of the healing of the Hemorrhaging Woman (Haemorrhoissa) found in Mark 5:21–43, Matthew 9:18–26, and Luke 8:40–56 have overlooked key parts of her identity, reducing her to a mere symbol or theological device. Using disability studies and theology informed by the author's own battles with chronic pain, this analysis reclaims the woman's identity as it is presented in the original Markan text. By examining her as an impure, poor, lonely, and unnamed woman who was healed by Jesus through her own faith, this piece argues that the woman's marginality positioned her to have a unique and meaningful relationship with God. The research asserts that the story of the Hemorrhaging Woman offers an example of faith and resilience, and demonstrates that vulnerability can bring one closer to the divine.