Book excerpt: Narrative Discipleship examines the thematic and theological impact of women in the Gospel of Mark. Using narrative analysis, Aernie explores how Mark intentionally crafts the narratives of women in the Gospel to extend his portrait of discipleship. Mark portrays these women as exemplars of four key aspects of discipleship—restored life, kingdom speech, sacrificial action, and cruciformity. These portraits of discipleship provide a transformative paradigm for Mark’s audience. Mark creates a portrait of narrative discipleship as a means to encourage his audience toward embodied discipleship and faithful participation in God’s in-breaking kingdom.