The Household: A Major Social Component for Gender Analysis in the Gospel of Matthew

Abstract

Employing macrosociology as a methodology, gender specific behavior in Matthew is examined through an analysis of the household. Three steps are taken: (1) an advanced agrarian "model" of the status and roles of women (and men) is created; (2) the model is then used as a comparative index of household data in Matthew; and (3) possible exceptional or deviant examples are explored. The Gospel presupposes a rigid, hierarchical, authority-centered social structure largely based on the paradigm of the household. Although exceptional or deviant gender behavior exists, it does not burst the societal boundaries of the household of advanced agrarian societies.