Uninterpret-Able: Bridging with Mentally Diverse Bodies

The pericope of demonic possession in Mark 5 invites us to reject a simplistic aversion to uninterpretable experiences. Engaging with Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection encourages readers to recognize that embracing heterogeneous otherness can create new opportunities for both individuals and communities. This study critiques the limited and normative conception of mentally diverse bodies as being confined within a single boundary, and it represents the (un)interpretability of these bodies. Through a reading of Mark 5:1–20 that considers perceptions of the demonic, negotiating identity and agency, and a way of representation within a community, this study argues for the importance of mutuality, the experience of becoming a body of abject, and the epistemic acceptance of the uninterpretable in order to engage with the interpret-‘able’.