The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the M.A. Thesis entitled “’WHO TOUCHED ME?’: Jesus as Agent and Recipient of Touch in the Gospel of Mark” by DOM JOSEPH B. BULAN, S.J. on 9 September 2025, Tuesday, 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the Tipanan ni San Ignacio, DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., Loyola School of Theology. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Clifard Sunil Ranjar, S.J., S.S.L., S.T.D. (Adviser), Fr. Francis Alvarez, S.J., S.T.L., Ph.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Moses Jarvis Catan, Ph.D., and Fr. Renato Repole, S.J., S.T.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Theological Studies with a field of specialization in Biblical Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: This thesis employs the three-worlds approach in biblical hermeneutics to explore the meaning, function, and theological implications of the sense of touch in the Gospel of Mark. It examines the place of touch in ancient Greco-Roman society and the Old Testament, undertakes a theological-narrative analysis of Marcan texts where Jesus is agent or recipient of touch, and offers reflections on its tactful applications in select pastoral situations within contemporary Filipino Catholic culture.
This thesis acknowledges the performative and communicative role of touch, the practice of which is governed by socio-cultural conventions in various areas of life meant to uphold the status quo in a community. In Mark, it argues how touch becomes embodied, dynamic, and affective expressions of a person’s interiority. Its duality lies in its ability to either harm or heal, as well as in its power to affect both agent and recipient. Moreover, acts of touch in Mark have a three-fold function: tactile testimony, symbolic act, and narrative hinge. Theologically, these tactile encounters showcase Jesus’ full humanity and divinity, reveal a God deeply in touch with his beloved people, communicate the incarnational logic of the Kingdom, and concretize personal and communal expressions of faith.
Contextualizing this within a touch-oriented Filipino society, this thesis strongly advocates for a more culturally-sensitive Tagalog biblical translation for “haptomai”. It likewise affirms the potential of “punas-punas” as an embodied counter-cultural witness to excarnated forms of practicing the Catholic faith. Lastly, it calls for tactful engagements towards the sick, children, and elderly, patterned after the own “ethos” of Christ.
