The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity
Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christianity—yet, if you look in the Bible, you’ll find only a handful of verses that speak of her. How did she become such a compelling saint in the face of such paltry evidence? In her effort to answer that question, Cynthia Bourgeault examines the Bible, church tradition, art, legend, and newly discovered texts to see what’s there. She then applies her own reasoning and intuition, informed by the wisdom of the ages-old...
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Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christianity—yet, if you look in the Bible, you’ll find only a handful of verses that speak of her. How did she become such a compelling saint in the face of such paltry evidence? In her effort to answer that question, Cynthia Bourgeault examines the Bible, church tradition, art, legend, and newly discovered texts to see what’s there. She then applies her own reasoning and intuition, informed by the wisdom of the ages-old Christian contemplative tradition. What emerges is a radical view of Mary Magdalene as Jesus’s most important disciple, the one he considered to understand his teaching best. That teaching was characterized by a nondualistic approach to the world and by a deep understanding of the value of the feminine. Cynthia shows how an understanding of Mary Magdalene can revitalize contemporary Christianity, how Christians and others can, through her, find their way to Jesus’s original teachings and apply them to their modern lives.
Preface ixPart 1 Mary Magdalene as Apostle1 Mary Magdalene in the Canonical Gospels 32 The Woman with the Alabaster Jar 173 The "Gnostic" Gospels 304 The Gospel of Mary Magdalene 435 Dying and Rising 576 Winners and Losers 74Part 2 Mary Magdalene as Beloved7 Reclaiming the Path of Romantic Love 858 The Great Identity Theft 989 The Path of Conscious Love 11110 The Bridal Chamber 12611 Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Bridal Chamber 13912 Substituted Love 148Part 3 Mary Magdalene as Unitive Wisdom13 First Apostle 16314 The Alchemical Feminine 16915 Anointing and Anointed 18116 Why France? 19117 The Wisdom Mary Magdalene 206Appendix 1 Mary Magdalene and the Song of Songs 221Appendix 2 The Anointing according to John 233Appendix 3 The Passion of Mary Magdalene 241Notes 243Index 275
