Masculinity between Islam and Markan Jesus

Recently, there have been instances of women being appointed as pastors in Evangelical churches in certain Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Although the initial call for women's ordination originated from Egypt, the Synod of the Nile (the Presbyterian Church in Egypt) has decided to postpone the discussion on this matter for a period of 10 years. The debate within the synod and the wider Evangelical community has focused on the issue of women's ordination from both biblical and ecumenical pastoral perspectives. This paper seeks to discern the most significant barrier confronting women in Egypt, which is fundamentally grounded in Islamic principles and the Islamic perception of masculinity. To achieve this goal, the author intends to employ The Gospel of Mark as an indispensable resource for constructing a comprehensive understanding of the historical Jesus and for reinterpreting the meaning of manhood in the region.