A Narrative-Therapeutic Reading of the Martyr Narrative in 2 Maccabees 6 and 7

The objective of this article is to analyse the different narratives implied in 2 Maccabees 6 and 7 in order to explicate the significance of both the dominant and challenging narratives (i.e. the rising hegemony of Hellenism in the Maccabean period and the subsequent Jewish counterattack involving certain altered theological viewpoints). It further investigates the social problems behind these narratives (e.g. the Jewish religion losing members and the fact that the bodies of the Jewish nation were viewed as being inferior). In addition, attention is given to the pointers in the text for managing this problem referring to successful outcomes for this new master narrative in the past. It is argued that the Jewish religion was quite inventive by borrowing (ironically) from Hellenism. To do this the narrative therapeutic approach as used by Epston and White was applied to 2 Maccabees 6 and 7 which resulted in a new and quite unique interpretation.