Gendering the Myrrhbearers: Perspectives from a Cross-Disciplinary Conference

Abstract

Introductory essay to the conference proceedings Ἀρώματα καὶ μύρα (Turin, 2024), marking the conclusion of a two-year research project on the Gospel figures of the myrrhbearers. The article reflects on their reception in Eastern and Western Christian traditions and summarises the volume’s contributions, which focus on patristic exegesis, Greek and Latin sources, liturgy, and feminist theology. Emphasis is placed on the symbolic richness of the myrrhbearers and their relevance as liminal, ecclesiological, and gendered figures within Christian memory and ritual