Who was Mary Magdalene, really? Mary Magdalene plays a prominent role in the Bible, but who was she, really? How did her identity change from an intimate friend of Christ to a prostitute? The Complete Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdaleneexplores the woman she was, who she might have been, what we know for a fact, and how the persona of Mary of Magdalene has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the last 2,000 years. " Offers a balanced, easy-to-follow look at a very controversial subject " Includes scriptural references throughout and a quick look-up appendix to track mentions of Mary Magdalene, as well as resources and a chronology
The founding of the early Christian Church had as much to do with politics and intrigue as it did with theology and religion. This history and the documents uncovered at the Nag Hammadi site in Egypt have formed the basis of some of the most interesting and mysterious questions today. Was Mary Magdalene a disciple of Jesus? What role did Jesus mother Mary play? What does the Gospel of Thomas tells us? Enter The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Gnostic Gospels. Expert author J. Michael Matkin has provided easy and understandable overviews to all these major works and more. With chapters discussing each of the major and minor documents found at Nag Hammadi, the book also includes an overview of Gnosticism and its most influential people. Readers get an easy, understandable view of the early Church, these relatively new documents, and their meaning to modern religion and philosophy today.
With The Everything Mary Magdalene Book, you'll unravel the mystery of the Bible's most misunderstood woman. As an eyewitness to Jesus' resurrection and the turbulent birth of Christianity, Mary Magdalene played a crucial yet unexamined role in the Bible-until now. In this comprehensive investigative guide to the life of Mary Magdalene, you'll explore: Complete and concise analyses of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament Mary Magdalene's appearance in the Gnostic gospels The shaky basis for the interpretation of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute The modern discoveries and representations of Mary Magdalene as a vital follower of Jesus' early movements Mary Magdalene's inspirational role in the world today From her misrepresentation as a fallen woman to her growing impact on modern Christianity, The Everything Mary Magdalene Book details the Bible's most enigmatic of Jesus' followers, putting some myths to rest and bringing the truth to light!
A bewildering array of books have been published about Mary Magdalene from academic monographs to Idiot's Guides making it difficult to know what is fact and what is fiction. This is the first book to contain ALL the important Early Christian texts about Mary Magdalene. Now they are together in one book and give a clear picture of the early Christian discussion about Mary Magdalene and her contribution to the beginnings of Christianity. This book provides a fascinating glimpse in to the ongoing debate about the central beliefs and the role of men and women in Christianity.
Complete, Unabridged Guide to Mary Magdalene. Get the information you need--fast! This comprehensive guide offers a thorough view of key knowledge and detailed insight. It's all you need. Here's part of the content - you would like to know it all? Delve into this book today!..... : Luke 24:10 says the group who reported to the disciples the finding of the empty tomb consisted of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them (it is not said they all visited the tomb, nor exclude that some might have joined the group on the way back). ...The gospels of Mark and Luke record that the rest of the disciples did not believe Mary's report of what she saw, and neither Mary Magdalene nor any of the other women are mentioned by name in Paul's catalog of appearances at 1 Cor 15:1. ...Jacobus de Voragine, compiling his Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend) before the competition arose, characterized Mary Magdalene as the emblem of penitence, washing the feet of Jesus with her copious tears (although it is now believed that Mary of Bethany was the woman known for washing or anointing the feet of Jesus) protectress of pilgrims to Jerusalem, daily lifting by angels at the meal hour in her fasting retreat and many other miraculous happenings in the genre of Romance, ending with her death in the oratory of Saint Maximin, all disingenuously claimed to have been drawn from the histories of Hegesippus and of Josephus. ...Quote: Further, in their secret meetings they said that the Christ who was born in the earthly and visible Bethlehem and crucified at Jerusalem was 'evil', and that Mary Magdalene was his concubine - and that she was the woman taken in adultery who is referred to in the Scriptures; the 'good' Christ, they said, neither ate nor drank nor assumed the true flesh and was never in this world, except spiritually in the body of Paul. There is absolutely nothing that isn't thoroughly covered in the book. It is straightforward, and does an excellent job of explaining all about Mary Magdalene in key topics and material. There is no reason to invest in any other materials to learn about Mary Magdalene. You'll understand it all. Inside the Guide: Mary Magdalene, Ben Witherington III, Bart D. Ehrman, Atrani, Apostle (Christian), Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alphaeus, Aix-en-Provence
Mary Magdalene, Jesus's Closest Disciple Marvin Meyer, one of the foremost scholars of the Gnostic Gospels: translates and introduces the Gnostic and New Testament texts that together reveal the story and importance of Mary Magdalene includes new translations of the Gospels of Mary, Thomas, Philip, and related texts about Mary Magdalene discloses, with Esther A. De Boer, the long-suppressed story of Mary's vital role in the life of Jesus and in the formative period after his crucifixion presents as authentically as possible the real Mary Magdalene
The secrets and myths surrounding the misunderstood life of Mary Magdalene are revealed in this guide that features a myriad of ways to incorporate this inspiring saint's wisdom and grace into daily life. Original. 45,000 first printing.
The controversy surrounding Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code has intensified interest in Mary Magdalene and Jane Schaberg provides an authoritative source for a deeper understanding and re-assessment of this popular figure. Within a progressive feminist framework, The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene approaches Christian Testament sources through analysis of legend, archaeology, and gnostic/apocryphal traditions. This is the story of the suppression and distortion of a powerful woman leader - Schaberg presents Mary Magdalene as successor to Jesus in a challenging alternative to the Petrine primacy. >
The Gospel of Mary, the only known gospel that is named after a woman, has aroused new interest in the figure of Mary Magdalene and the beginnings of Christianity. What was her impact and her message? What became of her and her ideas? This book examines the Gospel of Mary to discover what it reveals about Mary Magdalene and to determine the origin of its portrayal. It proposes a new perspective on matter and nature in the Gospel of Mary, suggesting that it is not to be categorized as a gnostic writing. Furthermore, the study argues that Mary's teaching in the Gospel of Mary is more closely related to the writings of Philo, the letters of Paul and the Gospel of John than to the Nag Hammadi Codices. As such, the Gospel of Mary and its portrayal of Mary Magdalene cannot be seen as evidence of a specific gnostic esteem for Mary Magdalene, but rather demonstrates the esteem of believers belonging to a broader Christian context.
