The Strippings of Jesus: Asking the Right Questions

Mon 23 January 2023

Wesley House

All four gospels record that Jesus was stripped of his clothes at the cross. Mark 15:15-20 and Matthew 27:26-31 attest to an additional series of strippings as part of the mockery in the praetorium.

Asking the right questions about the strippings can help churches to think more deeply about the prevalence of sexual violence both past and present. How are these forced strippings of Jesus to be understood? What was their purpose at the time? How might they help churches address the silences and stigmas around sexual violence in contemporary times?

This public lecture will examine the meaning that stripping a prisoner conveyed in the ancient world. It draws on the recently published The Crucifixion of Jesus: Torture, Sexual Abuse, and the Scandal of the Cross (Routledge, 2023) to show why this part of the crucifixion narrative deserves more attention

Cost: Free