The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene: Legends, Apocrypha, and the Christian Testament

Customer Reviews:

Weighty .......2006-10-19

I have the utmost respect for Jane Schaberg as a scholar, and have enjoyed her previous books. But the current book is so bogged down with feminist allusions, that the story of Mary Magdalene gets lost in the process. Which is not to say that the feminist point of view isn't welcome in a subject that has been "man handled" for centuries and which shows the awkward footprints of patriarchic society. Yet too often Schaberg is so caught up in the argument that we move further away from the picture of Mary which we were hoping to explore.

Then, of course, there are the obvious things. Schaberg gives us a good summary of the archeological evidence with regard to Migdal, yet she seems determined to keep the idea going that Mary Magdalene is Mary of Magdala when she herself shows that Magdala never existed. Hence it is Mary Midgal or Mary "the tower" as Margaret Starbird has shown, not Mary of Magdala.

And something seems to keep her from making the obvious conclusion that Jesus and Mary were married. She presents the evidence, then when it's all there on the table, she refuses to accept the obvious conclusion. After all, Jesus was a 30 year old rabbi, all 30 year old rabbis at that time were married, Jesus loved her more..., kissed her often on the..., etc. I'm baffled by how she can present the evidence and then fail to draw the conclusion. I suspect, and this is only a suspicion, that by concluding that Mary was Jesus' wife, somehow the feminist orientation is weakened. Mary should be a strong person. A leader. Independent of her status to Jesus. If she is a leader because she is Jesus' wife, then it somehow degrades her. Personally I don't accept that. It is because she is a strong person that Jesus loves her in the first place, and it is because she is a strong person and Jesus' wife that the writers of the canonical gospels choose to edit her out almost entirely.

This is certainly an interesting book with lots of details (perhaps too many) and good scholarly footnotes that provide a wealth of information. But I wouldn't recommend it to a beginning student.

Scholarly Yet Easily Understandable.......2005-09-22

This is a wonderful book if, like me, you want to explore the various modern interpretations of Mary Magdalene. The author begins by showing why the portrayal that has come down to us through the centuries of a "repentant prostitute," is not substantiated by either Biblical or historical scholarship. She then goes on to explain the various theories and possibilities to help as construct a more accurate picture of Magdalene. She does this in a scholarly way--but her writing avoids the jargon and unnecessarily long words of some other scholarly books on religion. In other words, you're not likely to fall asleep reading it. In fact, it's an eye-opener. Schaberg brings together and explains a number of different theories about Magdalene and about the events surrounding the Crucifixion. I personally didn't feel the quotes from Virginia Woolf were necessary, but I appreciate her attempt to make the material even more meaningful by using them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to unravel the Magdalene mystery.

Mary Magdalene Resurrected.......2003-03-12

In this book Schaberg skillfully and insightfully sifts through the layers of legends that have accrued to the figure of Mary Magdalene in order to "resurrect" this important figure in Christian history. In contrast to other books which simply recount the many legends associated with the Magdalene, Schaberg undertakes a critical analysis of these legends, demonstrating ways in which the legends have been used to both empower and depower the Magdalene. In successive chapters, Schaberg examines archaeological remains, depictions of the Magdalene in film and literature, the transformation of the Magdalene from "apostolic witness" to "whore", and gnostic/apocryphal traditions associated with the Magdalene. In concluding chapters Schaberg points to Mary Magdalene and the discovery of the empty tomb as the source of resurrection faith, and makes a bold and persuasive argument for Mary Magdalene as the prophetic successor of Jesus, similar to the way in which Elisha succeeded Elijah. Schaberg's proposition for "Magdalene Christianity" invites serious reconsideration of previous reconstructions of Christian origins. This is a book that will be of interest to students of the Bible and early Christianity, as well as those engaged in women's studies. It is a challenging and worthwhile read.

Mary Magdalene for the Non-Theologian.......2002-11-27

I can only write this review from a non-theological point of view. I am a systems-programmer, not a scholar. Having been brought up Roman Catholic, then fallen far, far away into what might be called "unorthodox deism", I am astonished by the difference between the canonical New Testament texts I was taught, and the views Jane Schaberg expresses. So, the canonical Matthew, Mark, Luke and John aren't "history"? This is refreshing, because taken as history they don't make all
that much sense. The additional frequent allusions to the documents from Nag Hammadi and other apocrypha point the way to "the way things might have been different" from the canonical teachings, and help to look at the historical Jesus as a real person, not a simpering victim of Augustinian prudery.
This last helps support Schaberg's postulation that Mary Magdalene, among other women, may have been not distant followers of Jesus but intimate companions and the true proclaimers of his message to the apostles and to the world.

Schaberg's Magdalene.......2002-09-20

Schaberg's book is a challenging read, but should be accessable to one who reads feminist/womanist authors, Biblical scholars or both. She has meticulously reviewed and analysed the literature and film on or related to Mary Magdalene. She has summarized the limited archaeological work done at Migdal.
Perhaps I have been afraid of Virginia Woolf. Now I will read her work, and try to compare it with the work of Mary Ann Evans. I have been interested in what Evans says about religion.
I find Schaberg's discovery of allusion to 2 Kings 2 in John 20 to be breathtaking... I will be spending a lot of time with this book.

Average customer rating:

The First Female Apostle: Myth and Legacy
Back in print
The best on the Magdalene
deserves 6 stars!
An outstanding ýone-stopý resource on Mary Magdalene!

Mary Magdalen: Myth and Metaphor
Susan Haskins
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
Resurrection Of Mary Magdalene: Legands, Apocrypha, And The Christian Testament
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The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus

ASIN: 1573225096

Customer Reviews:

The First Female Apostle: Myth and Legacy.......2007-03-23

It was Pope Gregory who began the notion that Mary Magdalene was a fallen woman and the story stuck even after Vatican 2 in 1969. This is a pre-Da Vinci code take on the historical Mary Magdalene. There have been many edits to the Bible, to church history, to the lives of key figures from the earliest origins of Christianity ... and in sorting out fact from fiction ... one must seek to understand the context of teachings first before just blindly believing anything presented to them. Mary Magdalene became an icon of the fallen dangerous women and was used to subjugate women in many levels of church politics. Her history is one of the most controversial topics in the church .... and well worth exploring to understand the intention behind her image.

Back in print.......2006-09-12

Ignore my rating as I have only just begun reading this book but I did not want to alter the overall rating given to date. I have posted this 'review' simply to let it be known on Amazon that the book is back in print and is now published by PIMLICO with the ISBN 1-8459-5004-6.

The best on the Magdalene.......2005-01-30

It's a silly shame that this wonderful book is out-of-print when the Code Mania would sell it like hotcakes. It is, without a competitor, the best all-around book on Mary Magdalene. Buy Karen L. King's translation of the Gospel of Mary if you want an intense but engaging lesson in theology, Jane Schaberg's *The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene* if you want a solid feminist critique, or Margaret Starbird's *The Woman with the Alabaster Jar* if you are looking for New Age speculation, but it's Haskins who pulls it all together.

Tracing the idea of Mary Magdalene from the Biblical (and "heretical") sources to present-day manifestations in film and novel, she provides a survey of the changing role of women and sexuality in Occidental culture, generously illustrated with depictions of the Magdalene. She shows how the "shamed prostitute" myth got its start, examines the claims of connection between Mary and France, and provides a very funny account of the Church supported habit of "relic snatching" that accounts for Mary's "relics" moving here and there from this monastery to that church.

All in all, it is a heavy but interesting read, with no polemic axe to grind. Start here.

deserves 6 stars!.......2002-10-27

This is THE MOST AMAZING book on Mary Magdalen. Susan Haskins goes through the image/personna of the magdalen from the Biblical roots to our pop-culture. The primary references are excellent, it is well put together, it is PERFECT!

An outstanding ýone-stopý resource on Mary Magdalene!.......1999-07-15

Haskins does an excellent job in bringing us virtually every relevant piece of useful information about Mary Magdalene. It's all discussed here -- Mary Magdalene in Scripture, non-canonical Christian literature, artwork, history, myths, and legends. An important work about an important historical and spiritual figure.

Secrets of Mary Magdalene: The Untold Story of History's Most Misunderstood Woman (Secrets)

Average customer rating:

An abundance of facts, fictions, insights and opinions about this misunderstood woman in this latest Secrets release
Interesting Collection Of Opinions Based On Little Fact
Wow, what a read
A very good way to start
A long hard birth

Secrets of Mary Magdalene: The Untold Story of History's Most Misunderstood Woman (Secrets)

Manufacturer: CDS Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Crucifixion of Mary Magdalene: The Historical Tradition of the First Apostle and the Ancient Church's Campaign to Suppress It
Secrets of Mary Magdalene
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Chasing the Magdalene

ASIN: 1593152051

Book Description

Continuing in the tradition of the New York Times bestselling Secrets of the Code, the latest book from th e team, Secrets of Mary Magdalene, brings together world class experts from different faiths, backgrounds, and perspectives, to discuss the most thought-provoking new ideas and original thinking about Mary Magdalene. All of the contributors to Secrets of Mary Magdalene are well-known and highly respected authors whose books have sold more than five million copies in total. Never before has such a wide range of fascinating ideas and new scholarship about Mary Magdalene been collected in one book that is so timely, popular and accessible.

Customer Reviews:

An abundance of facts, fictions, insights and opinions about this misunderstood woman in this latest Secrets release.......2007-06-06

As with the other titles in Dan Burstein's Secrets series, SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE brings together authors from a variety of perspectives and areas of expertise in an attempt to shed light on the person the book cover describes as "history's most misunderstood woman." And also, like the other titles in the series, this one is directly linked to a book by Dan Brown --- in this case, THE DA VINCI CODE, and its depiction of the follower of Jesus known as Mary of Magdala. The book features an introduction by Princeton University professor Elaine Pagels, one of the foremost scholars of Gnostic literature and author of two highly acclaimed bestsellers: THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS and BEYOND BELIEF: The Secret Gospel of Thomas.

Fellow scholars like Bart Ehrman and Karen King contribute essays, but so do the likes of singer Tori Amos and novelists Ki Longfellow and Kathleen McGowan, who believes she is a descendent of Mary, as well as Lesa Bellevie, author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO MARY MAGDALENE. The editors seem to cover all the bases, providing insight into the Magdalene mystery through writers in the fields of history, religion, art, fiction, film, music and even cyberspace. The book's nine sections cover the current fascination with Mary, the concept of the sacred feminine, Mary as "apostles to the apostles," Mary as the mistaken harlot, a roundtable discussion with seven experts on Mary, varying impressions of who Mary was, Magdalene cults and organizations, Mary in popular culture, and 21st-century ways of perceiving Mary. As always, Burstein and his team do a thorough job of examining the subject at hand.

That said, readers need to be aware that a book like this inevitably will include a great deal of repetition. And because the book is logically organized, within some sections there's even more overlap from one essay to the next. An example is the section on Mary as apostle to the apostles; four of the five essays are written by scholars from Harvard, Penn State, Bard College and Chapman University (the fifth is identified as an "independent, eclectic scholar"). For a change of pace, you might want to skip around the book and read the essays at random unless you're doing some serious research on one aspect of Mary.

Singling out the "best" of the essays is nearly impossible, since they serve different purposes. But two of my favorite quotes happen to appear in the same chapter, "The Alternate Gospel Tradition," the transcript of an interview with Marvin Meyer, author of THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus. Unlike so many other writers who paint the "Gnostic vs. canonical gospels" as a black-and-white issue, Meyer recognizes the complex factors involved in deciding the canon of Scripture. Here's one quote: "The Gnostics...never got their act together to get organized and get political. While the Gnostics were meditating and looking for the God within, the followers of Peter's way had their feet on the ground. They mowed their lawns and painted their churches --- and assembled a canon and got into bed with Constantine." Constantine was the Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and called the Council of Nicea, which among other things set the stage for determining the canon of Scripture.

One of the major controversies surrounding Mary is the nature of her relationship with Jesus: was she "just" his disciple, or could she also have been his sexual partner and the mother of his child, whether they were married or not? But speculating about the possibility of a sexual relationship also threatens to marginalize her, Meyer argues. Here's that second quote: "Luke said she was hysterical. Pope Gregory the Great said she was a whore. We might say, 'Oh, she was just the sexual partner of the really important guy.' And then we miss what the texts are trying to emphasize --- that she was an intelligent, independent woman and a spiritual leader."

In all, more than 30 writers contributed essays that together provide a fascinating picture of a fascinating historical figure who has undergone so many transformations over the centuries that it's doubtful we'll ever know who she really was. But that never stopped anyone in the past from creating their own Mary, and it's unlikely it will stop anyone today from doing the same. Whether you're a diehard Magdalene cultist or just an amused observer of Magdalene mania, you'll find an abundance of facts, fictions, insights and opinions about this misunderstood woman in this latest Secrets release.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

Interesting Collection Of Opinions Based On Little Fact.......2006-11-25

A very interesting, but perhaps slightly redundant compilation of articles and essays about Mary of Magdaleen. What carried my interest most is the wide range and diversity of the backgrounds upon which each author paints their understanding of who she was,her relationship to Jesus, and her role in the doctorine and development of Christianity.

It is, if nothing else, an interesting and many faceted depiction of the people and times and conditions that shaped western history.

Wow, what a read.......2006-10-01

For those of us who are not biblical scholars, who are the "well known and highly respected authors"? Allow me to assist with a few words on their background ( university staff first sorry, otherwise alphabetical):

Elaine Pagels- professor of Religion at Princeton Univ, one of the foremost scholars on Gnostic literature, author of "The Gnostic Gospels" & National Book Critics Circle Award winner
Lesa Bellevie, founder of magdalene.org and author of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Mary Magdalene"
Bart D Ehrman, professor of Religious Studies at Univ of North Carolina, authority on history of early Christianity, author of "Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code"
Susan Haskins, researcher and author of "Mary Magdalene: Myth and metaphor" and contributor to "Secrets of the Code"
Karen L King, professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School, author of "The Gospel of Mary Magdala..." and more
Marvin Meyer, professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman Univ, author of many books on Christian religions in antiquity
Margaret Starbird, writer on the concept of the Sacred Feminine and acknowledged influence on Dan Brown's novel

Diane Apostolos-Cappadonna, professor of religious art & history at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Centre for Muslim -Christian Understanding and prof at Georgetown Univ
Ann Graham Brock, lecturer, TV doco person, and author of "Mary Magdalene, the first Apostle..."
Bruce Chilton, professor of Religion at Bard Univ, author and editor of "J for the Study of the New Testament"
Mary-Rose D'Angelo, prof in theology at Univ of Notre Dame, coedited "Women and Christian origins"
Deirdre Good, prof of New Testament, General Theological Seminary, NY city and author
Katherine L Jansen ,prof of history at the Catholic University of America, writer on women, gender and religious culture
Philip Jenkins, prof of History & Religious Studies at Penn State Univ and author
Katherine Kurs, at New School Univ, interests include contemporary American spirituality
John Lash, eclectic scholar, founder of Metahistory.org and author
John Saul, contributed to research with Henry Lincoln at Rennes-le-Chateau in 1970s
Jane Schaberg, prof of Religious Studies at Univ of Detroit Mercy and Magdalene author
Merlin Stone, teacher of art history, organiser of Goddess Festivals

Jacobus de Voragine, Dominican italian monk in 1200s
Joan Acocella, staff writter for the New Yorker
Tori Amos, singer-songwriter and pianist
Elizabeth Bard, art historian based in Paris, contributed to Secrets of the Code
James Carrol, civil rights activist and playwright
Richard Covington, contributor to "Women of the Bible"
Maxine Hanks, writer and feminist theologian
Ki Longfellow, novelist
Kathleen McGowan, editor and writer on spirituality, metaphysics and alternative therapies
Jeremy Pine, antiquarian and archaeologist
Nancy Qualls-Corbett, Jungian analyst, author of "The sacred prostitute..."
Anna Quindlen, bestselling author, columnist & Pulitzer Prize winner

Its a bit of a read sorry, but it gives you an idea of the breadth of contributors to the book and their scholarship. My apologies if I have cut a university academic's 40 year career to two lines! There is obviously a bit of repetition and overlap between authors, but Wow, what a read.

A very good way to start.......2006-09-21

A very nice collection of viewpoints about the woman who is fast becoming the focus for many people's spiritual lives. Ranging from the scholarly to what amounts to a love letter; from those rooted in the traditional to those very inclined to the New Age (and what's so wrong with a new age, I ask...as if new thinking was somehow laughable); from some people whose life work is the study of the feminine principle in religious matters, to one or two who've, as they say, "jumped on the bandwagon"; this book is a fine way to enter into today's consideration of Mary Magdalene. As the reviewer below said, I do wonder at the inclusion of a few (well one, really) who seem to hold odd agendas concerning the Magdalene, but this is far outweighed by those whose thoughts and opinions are well worth reading. I recommend this book for all those who are picking their way through the thicket of today's rapidly growing interest in the divine feminine.

A long hard birth .......2006-08-26

Only read one other book in this series since I'm not a Grail man, but did read the fourth because I am very much a Jesus and Magdalene man. Written by so many Magdalene enthusiasts, scholars, and artists, therefore written from so many points of view, naturally this book is going to please in places, and perhaps not in others - it all depends on what the reader brings along with her/him. I brought along a certain admiration for many of the contributors, especially King and Haskins and Meyer, and a deep devotion to Pagels & Longfellow, so for these five I would have bought the book in any case. But it was very interesting to read the efforts of those I'd never heard of, or those whose inclusion puzzled me. I learned all over again that there's a world of Mary Magdalenes out there, each catering to the needs of various and sundry seekers. But what is really happening is the development in our exceedingly materialist times of a New Goddess of the West. This book is extremely helpful in following that delicious process. I'm giving it five stars for the truly good articles, but would like to have held back half a star for one or two of the choices made in contributors.

Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine

Average customer rating:

Affable, well-informed and devastating
Needs balance
Debunking Da Vinci
Expert demolition
After all, it is a novel!

Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine
Bart D. Ehrman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus)
Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend
Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew
Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament
The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament

Accessories:

Moleskine Pocket Ruled Notebook

ASIN: 0195181409

Book Description

A staggeringly popular work of fiction, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code has stood atop The New York Times Bestseller List for well over a year, with millions of copies in print. But this fast-paced mystery is unusual in that the author states up front that the historical information in the book is all factually accurate. But is this claim true? As historian Bart D. Ehrman shows in this informative and witty book, The Da Vinci Code is filled with numerous historical mistakes. Did the ancient church engage in a cover-up to make the man Jesus into a divine figure? Did Emperor Constantine select for the New Testament--from some 80 contending Gospels--the only four Gospels that stressed that Jesus was divine? Was Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene? Did the Church suppress Gospels that told the secret of their marriage? Bart Ehrman thoroughly debunks all of these claims. But the book is not merely a laundry list of Brown's misreading of history. Throughout, Ehrman offers a wealth of fascinating background information--all historically accurate--on early Christianity. He describes, for instance, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (which are not Christian in content, contrary to The Da Vinci Code); outlines in simple terms how scholars of early Christianity determine which sources are most reliable; and explores the many other Gospels that have been found in the last half century. Ehrman separates fact from fiction, the historical realities from the flights of literary fancy. Readers of The Da Vinci Code who would like to know the truth about the beginnings of Christianity and the life of Jesus will find this book riveting.

Customer Reviews:

Affable, well-informed and devastating.......2007-09-10

Almost as amazing as the explosive phenomenon that was "The Da Vinci Code," is the explosion of books attacking its premises and conclusions. Bart Ehrman's book, "Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code" is an able addition to the list.

Ehrman is a historian, a Protestant, with a mainstream viewpoint. His book examines 6 "codes" that appear in TDVC. These touch on the persons of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the process of defining the canon or list of accepted books, the role of women in the early church and other topics germane to the discussion. Ehrman's examination and conclusions are logical, based on the evidence and (I thought) quite convincing. For instance, he discusses the supposed "fact" that since all rabbis had to be married, then Jesus (often called "Rabbi" by his disciples) must have been married as well. Ehrman demolishes this notion with easily-accessible facts. The apostle Paul himself was unmarried, as evidenced by his own letters. And the 1st-century Jewish historian Josephus speaks glowingly of the Essenes, noting that they do not marry. The term "rabbi" means "teacher," and can be applied to those who have undergone and official process as well as those (like Jesus) for whom the term is used as an honorific. And, unconvincingly to skeptics, the Gospels do not mention a married Jesus. Having made the case, Ehrman states that he has broken the code (that a married Jesus was probable) and moves on.

By far, Ehrman spends the most time with the so-called gnostic gospels, upon which the hopes of so many who attack the Church are based. These works of the early centuries of the current era were known mostly through the attacks upon them made by early Church Fathers like Irenaeus. Since the 1940s, with the discover of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi library, historians have had a field day studying the primary texts of the first, second and third centuries. Ehrman examines the texts themselves as well as the cosmology and theology they espouse. This section is long, confusing and hard to follow, not least because the texts themselves are contradictory and plain weird. Ehrman pays special attention to details that moderns have given special importance. There is, for instance the section in the Gospel of Phillip in which Jesus is said to have kissed Mary Magdalene often on the mouth. Ehrman shows how this text is a reconstruction, with key words missing, and that it is embedded in sections that have purely spiritual and symbolic significance. Those who see it as an example of a flesh-and-blood relationship often neglect these key aspects of the work. Not to mention that the text post-dates the canonical gospels by many decades.

"Truth and Fiction" is a careful and dispassionate critique of the fuzzy thinking of TDVC partisans. It is also an good-natured attack on best-selling authors like Elaine Pagels ("The Gnostic Gospels") who have gained prominence by championing the vision of the gnostics. But the book's ultimate attack is on the "code behind the codes" -- the attempt to make the doctrine of the gnostics equivalent to the orthodox view taught in the gospels. Ehrman's great contribution is in making clear that two gospels -- one that preaches a suffering, crucified and risen Lord, and another that preaches a Lord who did not suffer and die -- can not merely be considered alternatives of one another. They preach different realities and have different consequences for believers. One is a gospel for all, the other a gospel for the elite. One opposes the world, the other revels in it. One was passed down by those close the Jesus, the other was invented decades or centuries after his life.

Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" was more than a work of fiction. It was an attack on the truth and on the hard-won and hard-kept beliefs of Christians over the last 2000 years. Ehrman's book is an educated, entertaining and accessible rebuttal that is well worth the read.

Needs balance.......2007-02-04

This is a good book with a lot of historical information and quotes, but it is the usual kind of scholarly approach that one finds to Christianity (like few other subjects): An investigation for which the author already knows the answer. I would rather see something a bit more open-minded than the sort of "writing the facts to fit the opinion" that usually comes to religion. For instance the entire concept of Jesus's "Kingdom of God" has only one possible meaning to the author; suffice it to say this is not so for a great many scholars, theologists and spiritualists. Rather disappointing for something that came through the Oxford University Press.

Debunking Da Vinci.......2007-01-08

It can't really be said that a scholar of Dr. Ehrman's magnitude was needed to demolish the historical claims of Dan Brown's piece-of-garbage novel. Any 12 year old Sunday school student could have blown down half the arguments of the Da Vinci Code while any intelligent person with a history book could have knocked over the other half. The value that Ehrman provides is that he delves deeper into Brown's claims and, rather than merely pointing out Brown's whoppers, gives us a very detailed education on Early Christianity, Biblical exegesis, the Gnostics, Mary Magdalene, Constantine, and all the other issues touching on the Da Vinci Code. It is a real pleasure for anyone interested in the Early Church and historical truth. However, Christians should be warned- although the vast majority of the book is unobjectionable, the born-again apostate Ehrman does indulge his agnosticism and judges the relative historical truth of the Gospels. If you can disregard that, the rest of the book contains some very valuable information.

Expert demolition.......2006-12-14

Bart Ehrman is a well-known historian of Christianity and chairman of the Religious Studies Department at UNC-Chapel Hill. This short book (it can be read in one long sitting) debunks Brown's plot and purported evidence from top to bottom. Better yet, it contains a lot of interesting material about early Christianity, the development of the NT scriptural canon, historical Jesus, what Constantine was and wasn't trying to do at Nicea, etc. I've read some of Ehrman's other books, which is why this one caught my eye. This one was clearly done in a hurry by pulling together parts of those other books, and a it's a bit padded with repetition. But Ehrman knows his stuff, and this is a nice, boiled down rapid-fire overview of that whole area of scholarship, how it proceeds (in a word, skeptically), and what kinds of conclusions it tends toward. Well worth the investment of time, even beyond the specifics about 'Da Vinci Code.'

The bottom line on Brown's book is that it's a page turner, but largely a mess in terms of historical accuracy, and a book that unfortunately promotes some really fundamental distortions and errors. Probably the two foundational inaccuracies are (1) Constantine did not decide the NT canon, and (2) the books that were left out of the NT were not books that over-emphasized Jesus' humanity, quite the contrary. There is much more wrong with 'Code,' (for example, it badly misrepresents both the Dead Sea Scrolls and the content of the books found at Nag Hammadi), but those two falsehoods pretty much destroy all its plot premises. 'Da Vinci Code' is an entertaining book that should not be taken seriously.

After all, it is a novel!.......2006-11-03

While I appreciate Bart's scholarship and have devoured other books he has written, I was disappointed in the tone of this book. As much as I champion feminine spirituality, the novel in question is, after all, a novel, for goodness sake! Enough already!

Average customer rating:

A disappointment
A Facinating Read
It sure beats the DaVinci Code!
More than Mary
Good fiction

Mary Magdalene: A Biography
Bruce Chilton
Manufacturer: Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography
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Secrets of Mary Magdalene: The Untold Story of History's Most Misunderstood Woman (Secrets)
Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile
The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus

ASIN: 0385513186
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Book Description

After two thousand years of flawed history, here at last is a magnificent new biography of Mary Magdalene that draws her out of the shadows of history and restores her to her rightful place of importance in Christianity.Throughout history, Mary Magdalene has been both revered and reviled, a woman who has taken on many forms—witch, whore, the incarnation of the eternal feminine, the devoted companion (and perhaps even the wife) of Jesus. In this brilliant new biography, Bruce Chilton, a renowned biblical scholar, offers the first complete and authoritative portrait of this fascinating woman. Through groundbreaking interpretations of ancient texts, Chilton shows that Mary played a central role in Jesus’ ministry and was a seminal figure in the creation of Christianity.
Chilton’s descriptions of who Mary Magdalene was and what she did challenge the male-dominated history of Christianity familiar to most readers. Placing Mary within the traditions of Jewish female savants, Chilton presents a visionary figure who was fully immersed in the mystical practices that shaped Jesus’ own teachings and a woman who was a religious master in her own right.

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment.......2007-03-25

This text was a major disappointment to read. The author uses so many "mights", "coulds", "maybes" and "perhapses" that it seems like a text in speculative biography. Maybe she did this. Perhaps she did that. This could have happened. It might have been the case...
He claims that Jesus was not able to read or write, though most scholars give him some capacity for that. Frustratingly, he offers no reason for his statement. Also, he states that since Mary was possessed by seven demons it took Jesus at least a year to exorcise them all. Sadly I got so frustrated with his writing that I didn't even finish reading it. But my margins are riddled with question marks and exclamation points at parts where I was befuddled or frustrated.

A Facinating Read.......2006-12-14

I found this book a fascinating read. Chilton has taken limited information about Mary Magdalene from gospel, gnostic, and other sources and drawn some educated conclusions about her as a person, her relationship with Jesus, her centrality in his movement, and her significance in the development of the Christian faith through the centuries. He has also posed an interesting theory about the legends about her and her supposed marginalization in the growth of the faith and church. Childton admits, more than once, that much of what he says cannot be proved decisively, yet he uses the little information available, along with his understanding of culture and history, to present a compelling portrait of Mary Magdalene, her relationship to Jesus, and her influence on the development of the Christian movement. Whether this portrait is on target or not, it is certainly interesting and plausible enough to bring some human spice into our reflection on the faith and its beloved Jesus. After all, we interpret history all the time using the information available, and that's what Chilton has done here in interesting fashion. I find it helpful to reflect on the human possibilities about Jesus, his movement, and those who first loved and followed him. It's fuel for the imagination and brings excitement to the faith, at least it does for me. As for me, such reflection helps me love all the more the one I call Christ, and gives me a new and inspired appreciation for the woman named Mary from Magdala.

It sure beats the DaVinci Code!.......2006-08-04

Chilton provides an excellent review of the church's response to the faith of Mary Magdalene. I appreciated his commentary on gnostic thought and, as always, his scholarship is impeccible. This book doesn't read as easily as did his almost-novelesque Rabbi Jesus. Chilton takes much more liberty in drawing conclusions about the Magdalen than the research should allow. Still, the book is well written and provides plenty of food for thought. If your church book club read the DaVinci Code, they should follow it up with Mary Magdalen: A Biography.

More than Mary.......2006-07-26

Chilton illustrates to what extent MM acted as one of Jesus' disciples, how exorcism, annointing, and visions were valued, and how she was integral both as witness and herald of the Resurrection. This book uses MM more as a catalyst for great discussion of historical events, political influences, other writings, translation issues, fundamentalist interpretations, modern feminist theology, etc. as it is biographical. Even though Chilton quotes the Bible and many other writings throughout, including The Gospel According To Mary, I perceive that Chilton is helping the reader find Truth from the Bible. It is well-organized, well-written, and interesting.

Good fiction.......2006-01-21

This is a well written work and occasionally provides some useful information, especially about the historical evolution of various (incorrect) ideas about Mary Magdalene (MM). BUT, the author invents far too many ideas of his own (e.g., MM is the author of all the exorcism stories in the Gospels) and far too often makes clear mistakes. Here's a brief list of his errors:

- Chilton claims "Luke's gospel says that Jesus exorcised Mary of `seven demons'(p. 25)." It says no such thing. It merely says that Mary had seven demons exorcised from her, but doesn't say who did the deed. The added ending to the Gospel of Mark (16:9) ascribed the cure to Jesus, but Luke never makes this connection.

- Chilton states: "Time and again in the gospels people with unclean spirits and diseases are portrayed as taking the initiative and demanding Jesus' attention...(p. 11)." Not true. Of the eight cases of people with unclean spirits, not a single one seeks Jesus out. In four of the cases (the epileptic boy, the blind and dumb man, the dumb man, SyroPhoenician woman) the caretakers seek Jesus, in two cases the spirit itself seeks Jesus (the man in the synagogue, the man in the cemetery), in one case Jesus seeks the person (bent woman) and in one case (Mary Magdalene) we don't know. But Chilton is completely wrong when he claims that these people sought Jesus out. It never happened.

-Chilton claims "The women had joined Joseph of Arimathea, a sympathetic rabbi who offered his own family's burial cave to be used for Jesus' internment (Mark 15:42-46) (p. 75)." Mark 15 says no such thing. It doesn't say that Joseph is a rabbi, nor does it say that the tomb is a cave, nor does it say that it was Joseph's family burial plot. Nor does it say that the women "joined" Joseph, it merely says they watched where Joseph placed Jesus. What Gospel is Chilton reading from? Certainly not Mark.

Here's a brief list of his failure to consider competing and more popular scholarly opinions:

- Chilton claims that Mary is from Magdala (p. 1). Any historian knows that the city of Magdala did not exist at that time, so it's impossible that she came from there. The most likely explanation for her name is that it refers to Migdal which is the Aramaic word for Tower. There were 3 cities that had the name Migdal at this time, and there's no way of knowing which of those cities the word referred to. More likely it was just a nickname, meaning that either Mary was tall or that she was a "tower of strength" to the movement. Margaret Starbird has provided a wealth of information that the latter is the case. But no serious historian says that she is from Magdala.

- Chilton claims that Mary sought Jesus out in 25 C.E. (p. 1). Of course, such an assertion is sheer nonsense. Neither from the canonical nor the Gnostic gospels, nor from folklore is there any way to estimate when they met. Moreover, there is no reason to suggest that Mary sought Jesus, for we have ample documentation that Jesus often sought out people, rather than vice versa.

- Chilton presents Mary as a peasant (p. 2). While there is no evidence for this, most legends claim she was wealthy, and the fact that Luke lists her along with other wealthy women suggests she was not poor. Chilton is simply inventing things with such speculation.

The enormity of his inventions and mistakes detracts from an otherwise easy-to-read book.

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Mary Magdalen: Truth and Myth
Susan Haskins
Manufacturer: Random House UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1845950046
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Book Description

Outstandingly reviewed, this is the best book ever written about Mary Magdalen, published now to take advantage of the fascination with her generated by The Da Vinci Code.

In this dramatic and thought-provoking portrait of one of early Christianity’s most compelling figures, the author explores two thousand years of history, art and literature. The book gives us a close-up view of Mary Magdalen and her significance in religious and cultural thought.

Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene

Average customer rating:

This requires a careful read but it can change your mind.
The worst piece of dribble that I have ever read
Still crazy after all these years

Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene
Barbara Thiering
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Jesus the Man
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The Magdalene Legacy: The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy

ASIN: 1416541381

Book Description

Jesus was the leader of a radical faction of Essene priests. He was not of virgin birth. He did not die on the Cross. He married Mary Magdalene, fathered a family, and later divorced. He died sometime after AD 64.

In this controversial version of Christ's life, theological scholar and bestselling author Barbara Thiering presents, after more than twenty years of close study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gospels, a revolutionary theory that, while upholding the fundamental faith of Christianity, challenges many of its most ingrained supernaturalist beliefs.

Jesus the Man will undoubtedly surprise those for whom a traditional understanding of biblical history is immutable and unchallengeable. But for the throngs who have been fascinated by new interpretations of this history, Thiering's work will be an essential and thrilling read.

Customer Reviews:

This requires a careful read but it can change your mind........2007-08-13

Let's assume you are not a literal Christian that cannot accept anything that would threaten the Jesus as God preaching. Otherwise, don't buy or even touch this book because it is blasphemy.

Ok, for those of you who can think for yourselves, give it a try. It is complex and takes a careful reading to follow what was a complex society in Qumran. Those scholars (with credentials) that have examined this book (and the others) have not found fault with her compilation of the data. As a scientist I'm impressed with her method which is careful and consistent. Her story makes more logical sense than any other Jesus story I have read (including the Bible). She may be right or wrong but she is definitely not a crackpot or whacko.

As for the duplication; the original "Jesus the Man" was not available in the US for many years because of pressure from Christian groups(according to the publisher). Since there is money to make riding on the Da Vinci Code phenomenon (which Thiering detests) another publisher has jumped in for the bucks.

Her other two books are easier to follow but this one is the core information.

The worst piece of dribble that I have ever read.......2007-04-28

It should be noted, as other reviewers have also pointed out, that `Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene' is the same book as `Jesus the man', which is the same book as `Jesus & the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls'; all different ISBN's and publishers but essentially the same book; repackaging in trying to dodge the negative reviews of the past and trying to cash in on the Da Vinci $.

Thiering uses the pesher technique to try to prop up her works. A look at most other reviewers from those that have read her books, will tell you how flawed this technique is.

I think very little of the present author along with another writer, Laurence Gardner. They both contend that Jesus descended from the cross of which he was nailed and crucified to. Gardner goes that bit further and say's that Jesus Christ was drugged while on the cross until reviving post crucifixion. Both authors use this argument to then continue to say that Jesus lived the happy family life in begetting children. This then is Gardiner's cash cow, the power of the crucifixion to give the appearance of power via an imaginary blood line. Let's put the word 'Logic' on the cross instead. Even if you don't believe in Jesus Christ having been crucified, try to at least understand this. Crucifixion is a death sentence. You have a crowd of people watching and Roman soldiers doing the crucifying. You then have a body that is nailed to timber at the hands and feet. Added to all of this is the scourging that the Romans inflicted inclusive of the spear that pierced the side of Jesus, causing water and blood to gush out. According to scripture, Christ did return to walk this planet, but in a glorified state i.e. "Touch me not for I have not yet ascended". From an esoteric perspective, the mission of Jesus was an evolutionary pathway. According to esoteric wisdom, the need for a human partner would have been a necessity prior to Jesus' sacrificial mission. To insinuate Christs return to father children is preposterous.

So which is it, there is no proof of Christ ever existing, as most armchair internet theologians would try to tell you, or Christ died and came back and fathered children; all equally trying to devalue the mission of Christ in the spirit of Antichrist; the continued voice of the masses, which still cries to this day "Crucify him and give us the murderer Barabbas instead". Hardly the middle ground of Christ came as a sacrifice to die for the sins of humanity. Christ gives us the example towards spirit and spiritual ascension, while the ego with its desires, passions and lusts, stands in direct opposition to this.

This book deserves a 0 star rating. This is the worst book that I have ever read, a book full of unverified fabrications and outright lies. If you're into the Da Vinci code stuff, do yourself a favour and look for a book and author with more credibility, so as to not waste your time and money and to save filling your mind with useless dribble.

Still crazy after all these years.......2007-03-17

Read this in 1992, and bought it again recently. It's still whacko. That is except for one brilliant point that stuck in my mind all this time. The probelm is she mentions it only in passing..and doesn't follow it to the obvious conclusion.

Average customer rating:

Mmm... Nice, Refreshing Crack...
irritating
INTERESTING, BUT WAY OUT THERE
Deceptive propaganda . . . Not what I expected.
Very Well Writen

Mary Magdalene
Lynn Picknett
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786713119

Book Description

Tradition and history have made of her “the other Mary.” Even in the New Testament Mary Magdalene stands among women second only to Mary the Mother, albeit she has been reduced by the biblical Gospels to little more than a fallen woman redeemed by Jesus. In the Gnostic Gospels, however, Magdalene figures almost as significantly as Christ, who names her “the woman who knows all.” The conflicting accounts of Mary Magdalene have sent best-selling author Lynn Picknett on a quest for the truth that has led her to the thirteenth-century cult of the Black Madonna, then back to Christianity’s beginnings and earlier. Tracing Mary’s name to Magdala in Egypt, Picknett learns that the term Magdal-eder means “tower of the flock,” or Good Shepherd, a title also given to Jesus Christ. Based on her explorations into new scholarship on recently discovered Gnostic texts, Picknett finds a vital partnership between Jesus and Mary that synthesized Eastern and Egyptian mysticism and that promulgated gender equality, anointing rites, and sexual rituals. In that relationship, she discovers an alliance that Christ’s Apostles and, later, the Catholic Church strove ardently to suppress. Picknett’s revelations rarely fail to provoke at least a reconsideration of long-accepted church doctrine.

Customer Reviews:

Mmm... Nice, Refreshing Crack..........2007-09-26

At least that's what I felt like the author was on at times during reading this. I enjoy reading alternative views of Mary Magdalene and seeing where people got their ideas, but this book started strange and got further and further beyond the realm of reality with every chapter. No matter what you're looking for in a book about Mary, I wouldn't start here.

irritating.......2006-10-26

I think Lynn Picknett sat down one night with a big bottle of wine and decided to rant her feelings, her research and strong opinions on some paper. She has some interesting ideas about who the Magdalene may have been or come from, and then never mentions it again- in fact here isn't much specifically about Magdalene at all. And statements like "..when the Gnostics were silly they were extremely silly"- excuse me?? I resisted reading this book for a long time because friends who, like me, thought The Templar Revelation was an exellent book, didn't really like this one. Well, I gave it a shot, and it was not worth it.

INTERESTING, BUT WAY OUT THERE.......2006-05-29

Was Mary Magdalene the wife of Jesus? Lynn Picknett thinks so, and she shows us a startling picture of the pair, with Mary Magdalene portrayed as spiritually superior to Jesus. Taking the Bible and the Nag Hamadi scrolls and other recently uncovered documents as her sources, she picks her way through the evidence that Mary Magdalene was a wealthy and learned woman, possibly a black woman and possibly schooled in the Egyptian mysteries. Picknett also draws heavily on the research she and Clive Prince did for their popular book, The Templar Revelation, particularly the material showing a connection between Jesus and Egypt.

She begins with her own indignation at the way the name of Mary Magdalene has been used to degrade and abuse women, citing the "Magdalene Laundries" in Great Britain where young girls guilty of sexual "sins" were forced to live and work in the oppressive laundries, under the cruel tutelage of nuns. Called "Maggies," these women were wrapped in the shame of Magdalene, the supposed harlot. But Picknett tells us (as any of us who have looked into the subject well know) that there is no evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She may have had a sexual side, but there was no shame in it. Picknett concludes that Magdalene and Jesus may have been partners in a spiritual rite that included "sacred sex." Dan Brown, in The DaVinci Code, tells us about a custom called "hieros gamos," ritual sex for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment. Picknett traces this custom to Egypt and suggests Magdalene may have been an Egyptian priestess who practiced such rites.

Picknett compares Magdalene to Helen, the beautiful black woman who accompanied Simon Magus on his travels, who performed exotic dances in chains while crowds watched and waited for Simon to perform "miracles." Simon Magus was associated with John the Baptist, leading to questions about whether John and Jesus performed the same magician's tricks as Simon.

Other writers have compared Jesus and John the Baptist and cited evidence that the Baptist had a considerable following and may not have been the solitary wildman living on locusts and honey in the desert as he was traditionally portrayed. In fact, he may have been a rival to Jesus, with his own large contingent of followers. It is a fact that there are to this day sects that revere the Baptist and hold Jesus in low regard. The Mandaeans are modern remnants of such a group. In medieval times, the Knights Templar were believed to have revered the Baptist and their members were said to spit on the cross of Jesus as part of their rituals. And further evidence comes from the Cathars, who were wiped out by a papal crusade for their heretical beliefs concerning John the Baptist. The Cathars also believed that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers.

But Picknett goes over the top when she tries to unite Mary Magdalene with the practices and beliefs of the Baptist. Working with the fascinating material she and Clive Prince presented in The Templar Revelation about the many churches in the south of France (former home to the Cathars) dedicated to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, she tries to reconcile why people who loved and honored Magdalene also loved and honored the Baptist. But the connection is simply not clear.

Picknett has plenty to say about the Baptist, who was beheaded by Harod -- but not, as the Bible says, because his stepdaughter's dancing so entranced him he offered her anything she wanted. Picknett suggests instead that there may have been a plot to do away with the Baptist. Who would stand to gain? She suggests that Jesus may have wanted to eliminate his rival and may have been involved in John's death. She makes much of the "head on a platter" and ties it in with the allegations that the Templars worshiped a head. Could the head of John the Baptist have been one and the same as the Holy Grail? These are interesting speculations, but what was there about the Baptist that caused followers down to this day to regard him as the true "son of God" instead of Jesus?

A lot of Picknett's thoughts derive directly from her feeling that the Church supposedly founded by Peter was led by men who wanted to suppress women. That did not include Jesus, who loved and honored Mary Magdalene. If you accept the Gnostic Gospels as authentic ancient documents, then you must accept that Jesus loved Mary Magdalene and considered her his closest disciple, the one who really understood his teachings. It appears from these writings that Peter hated Magdalene and was jealous of her intimacy with Jesus. Not only did Peter try to downplay her role, but the church he founded asserted male supremacy at every opportunity. Is it surprising that the church fathers would edit out any passages that honored Mary Magdalene?

Picknett goes so far as to suggest that there may be more ancient documents that prove that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were sexual partners (married or otherwise) that the church has acquired and suppressed. She debunks the widely-circulated story about the Arab youths who discovered the Nag Hamadi documents, that they took them home to their mother who burned some as cooking fuel, not realizing their value. Picknett suggests this is a cover story for the disappearance of scrolls whose contents were too hot to handle.

Her ruminations here reminded me of another highly controversial book, The Jesus Scroll by Donovan Joyce, published in the early 1970s, which alleges that Jesus did not die on the cross, but actually perished at Masada as an old man. Supposedly, the excavations of Masada conducted by Yigael Yadin (the same man who acquired the Dead Sea Scrolls for Israel) turned up a scroll written by Jesus. The Jews who held out on the huge rocky summit were all found dead by their own hands when the Romans finally stormed the top. Among the dead was one "Jesus of Genesereth," author of the scroll that Joyce says he saw. The scroll has since disappeared, and among those suspected of concealing it, to keep its explosive contents secret, is the Catholic Church. Joyce's book is long out of print and difficult to find, but I have a copy.

Like Picknett who had her own personal emotional angst over religion driving her ideas, Donovan Joyce too had an axe to grind. He was denied access to Masada by Yigael Yadin who apparently thought Joyce was involved in theft of the scroll. In his book, he writes in an acerbic and sarcastic manner about the life of Jesus. Like Picknett and other writers, he believes Jesus was married and his most likely wife is Mary Magdalene. He provides his own speculations on who she was and, like Picknett, points out that, according to the Bible, Mary Magdalene was wealthy and used her money to support Jesus and his work. Picknett gleefully notes that if Magdalene was a prostitute, then Jesus lived off her sinful earnings!

Lynn Picknett has raised some interesting possibilities with her book, but mainly she chases her own demons in painting Mary as a black goddess who practiced exotic sexual rites with her companion, Jesus, who emerges as a clever and not very likable magician. It's a picture that doesn't hold together very well. Picknett is better when she writes with her usual collaborator, Clive Prince. While I share her indignity at the church's brutal and callous disregard for the spiritual power of the female side of humanity, I think we all need to continue the search for the real Mary Magdalene. It's a search that may never end because the sources are so few and our understanding of the nuances of meaning of these ancient documents so subject to adding our own spin. But I hope the search goes on, for many of us will never stop wanting to know the truth.

Deceptive propaganda . . . Not what I expected........2006-05-03

I purchased this book hoping for an objective, scholarly history of the life of Mary Magdalene. However, this book is little more than an assortment of personal attacks on the beliefs of Christianity and the Catholic Church cleverly marketed as a biography. In typical propaganda-slinging fashion, she paraphrases and condemns writings, events and individuals that go against her personal views while accepting and embracing those that support her beliefs. While Ms. Picknett clearly conducted a large amount of research, she obviously has many deep personal issues with the church that would be better sorted out through counseling and therapy rather than through the publishing of books. She condemns the Catholic Church for the (unfortunately) many bad practices of the past without really acknowledging all the good work and teachings done by the vast majority of its members throughout history. This is analagous with tearing down the entire present-day educational system because of some bad teachers that were around centuries ago. She certainly needs to learn how to distinguish between occasional faulty leadership versus a faulty organization. A few bad apples do not always spoil the whole bunch. This discrete "it's either all good or all bad" line of thinking, coupled with the one-sided iconoclastic attempts to destroy the image of Jesus, are pathetic at best and have no place in any text aimed at those seeking to make up their own minds through an objective presentation of facts.

Very Well Writen .......2005-10-12

Loved it. This book answered alot of questions. I don't believe every thing that was stated, But that is the main reason that i loved this book. It was nice to know that someone is willing to research and publish a book no matter on what people think. I think that is a blessing to know that Mary Magdalene was not the fallen women she was made out to be, but a founder of early christianity. If your a fundmentalist you should have never picked up this book to begin with. My thanks to the author..

Mad Mary: A Bad Girl from Magdala, Transformed at His Appearing

Average customer rating:

Well written
Bible's most notorious "bad girl" not really bad at all!
MAD ABOUT MARY
Tell me the truth but...
I'm mad about "Mad Mary."

Mad Mary: A Bad Girl from Magdala, Transformed at His Appearing
Liz Curtis Higgs
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Unveiling Mary Magdalene Workbook

ASIN: 1578564476
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Book Description

“Here’s the truth, sister: Mary Magdalene has been knocking at the door of my heart for three years.
“She got squeezed out of Bad Girls of the Bible when I realized I needed more time to research her complex story. Then she was dropped from the roster for Really Bad Girls of the Bible because Tamar and Bathsheba took up more than their allotted pages. (Pushy, huh?) Now I know the real reason why Mary M waited so patiently in the wings: She deserves a book all her own!
“Come meet the genuine Mary Magdalene of the Bible–not the scarlet-draped legend–and follow her one-of-a-kind story of deliverance and dedication, despair and declaration. Like my previous Bad Girls books, Mad Mary begins with the fictional journey of Mary Margaret Delaney, a bad woman–or was it madwoman?–adrift in contemporary Chicago, desperate for someone to save her from herself.

“Once Mary Delaney’s story has prepared our hearts for learning, we’ll leave the Windy City and go verse by verse through Mary of Magdala’s ancient biblical tale, tossing aside modern misconceptions as we embrace the real Mary M.
“Prepare to be amazed by this eye-opening sister who was transformed twice when You-Know-Who showed up and spoke her name. Oh, Mary!”
– Liz Curtis Higgs

Customer Reviews:

Well written.......2006-10-14

If you're looking for a scholarly book about Mary Magdalene, you're probably better off reading Margaret Starbird or Jane Schaberg. But if you want a well written story about the life of Mary, then this book is for you. Higgs is a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction, and sometimes she blurs the lines. Her previous books on Bad Girls in the Bible were just a prelude to this one book on Mary, which is actually two books in one - the first half is a fictional story and the second half is the factional stone. I say "factional" rather than non-fiction because Higgs is very liberal in her interpretation of the gospels and rarely does she address alternate theories.

Higgs' discussion of Mary Magdalene assumes that Mary is not Mary from Bethany, yet there are a great many reasons to assume she is, and Higgs ignores most of these issues in her zeal to isolate Mary M as only the woman from whom 7 demons are exorcized. Yet in focusing exclusively on this aspect of Mary's story, Higgs seems oblivious to the meaning of the 7 demons within 1st Century jewish context. Moreover, she takes the easy road by assuming that Magdalene refers to the fact that Mary came from Magadan, when it makes more sense that Magdalene derived from Migdal (tower) and referred to the fact that Mary was the "tower", which, as Margaret Starbird points out, is equivalent to saying "Mary the Great". Jesus' disciples all had nicknames (Peter was called Rocky, John and James were the Brothers of Thunder, Judas was the Daggerman, Simon was the Zealot, etc.) None of these nicknames referred to places but to personality characteristics, so "Mary the Great" is in keeping with Jesus' nicknaming stragey, and "Mary from Magadan" is not.

Don't let these criticisms stop you from reading this book. It is a quick read, quite funny in parts, and generally stays true to the gospels. It is informative up to a point. I recommend it, with some cautions.

Bible's most notorious "bad girl" not really bad at all!.......2002-08-14

After reading Liz Curtis Higg's previous works, "Bad Girls of the Bible" and "Really Bad Girls of the Bible," I, too, was left wondering why she left out the "baddest" girl of the them all, Mary Magdalene. Well, this book more than made up for the omission. And it turns out, Mary wasn't that bad at all--she wasn't a prostitute like most people believe, she wasn't the one who annointed Jesus' feet, and she was never in love with Jesus. The only bad thing that happened to her was that she was possessed by demons (and haven't we all been at some point in our lives?...just kidding). Misinterpretation of her story by a patriarchal medieval Catholic Church is what gave her the bad reputation. Thank God Liz came along to set things straight! She explores who Mary Magdalene REALLY was through careful study of her appearances in the New Testament. (And as always, Liz makes Bible study accessible to everyone, even those who have never touched a Bible in their lives.) If anything, Mary Magdalene was a powerful and influential woman in her day--she was independently wealthy, she wasn't married at the time so she was free to follow Jesus as she chose, and Jesus Himself placed great importance upon her within his circle of followers. In fact, it was she (and none of the other (male) disciples) whom He chose to appear to first and foremost after His resurrection. That's got to say something about the woman herself!

What I love most about Liz's books is that she tells us how God EMPOWERS women. After living though so many centuries of the Christian church being run by men and limiting women's involvment, many have come to see as Christianity being "anti-woman." But according to Liz, this is not true. She presents God as very pro-woman, and points out many examples of how God has used women over the centuries to do great things. But I would recommend for ANYONE to read this (man or woman) because there are so many misconceptions of Mary Magdalene in our culture today, and it's about time we change our beliefs.

MAD ABOUT MARY.......2002-08-03

THIS IS ONE OF MRS. HIGGS' MOST THOUGHT PROVOKING BOOKS YET, IN MY OPINION. IT IS VERY WELL RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN IN A MANNER THAT MAKES YOU GO BACK AND READ THE SCRIPTURES REGARDING MARY OF MAGDALA.

MRS. HIGGS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS. THOUGH MOST OF HER BOOKS TICKLE YOUR FUNNY BONE, THEY GIVE YOU CAUSE FOR GREAT THOUGHT TOO. I PUT HER ON MY LIST OF TOP WRITERS, UP THERE WITH MAX LUCADO.

Tell me the truth but..........2002-05-01

I bought this book to have a better insight on her life and story. The first part of the book is about Mary M. if she lived today. It was a good story, but that is not what I bought the book for. The second part of the book is nothing but the writers view of religion and not about the life of Mary M. Oh well, you can't have it all.

I'm mad about "Mad Mary.".......2002-03-13

I loved her books "Bad Girls of the Bible" and "Really Bad Girls of the Bible", so I couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest, "Mad Mary." I wasn't disappointed. WOW! what a book. I couldn't put it down. Ms Higgs does it again. She stirred my emotions with her dipiction of a modern day Mary. I could feel this woman's pain. I found myself in tears more than once.
I repeatedly compared the fictional charactors to their real counterparts, in scripture. Jake is so compassionate, it's easy to see him as a modern Jesus. I could go on but I don't want to give away any of the other charactors.
Once again I am in awe of Ms Higgs talent.
I have discussed parts of her previous books in a Sunday School lesson. I have a feeling I'll be working this one in too.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdalene

Average customer rating:

Helpful, informed, fair overview
Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdalene
Now here's an interesting book
A very nice use of The Complete Idiot's series...
Broadly informed, accessibly presented

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdalene
Lesa Bellevie
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Complete Idiot's Guide to the Gnostic Gospels (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile
The Secret Magdalene: A Novel
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
Resurrection Of Mary Magdalene: Legands, Apocrypha, And The Christian Testament

ASIN: 1592573452

Book Description

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 IdiotÂ's Guide to Mary Magdalene explores 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.
Â• Offers a balanced, easy-to-follow look at a very controversial subject
Â• Includes scriptural references throughout and a quick look-up appendix to track mentions of Mary Magdalene, as well as resources and a chronology

Customer Reviews:

Helpful, informed, fair overview.......2005-10-31

I like this book. It's helping me to find other books and other sources in my search for Mary Magdalene.

Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdalene.......2005-10-06

This book is full of Historical facts, however, I have some problems with it, other than it being tedious to read.

Barbara Walker's book called The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets and the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Holy Blood and Holy Grailby Michael Baignent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln have all been trashed by the authour in Chapter 19,20 and 21 of her book. In chapter 20 the authour goes through a number of claims and judges whether they are true or false.

Claim 2- The Diaries of Mary Magdalen exist she says is false, shouldn't that have been, perhaps, not found yet, or something like that, instead of false. I sure don't know that she never wrote any, I just know they haven't found any, yet.

Claim 3 Jesus loved Mary Magdalene more than the others and kissed her often. Maybe -she says, well, what does she want, it to appear suddenly in the bible. What does she consider real proof? A stamp of approval from the Vatican? I think this is unlikely to happen.

Claim4 -Jesus left instructions with Mary Magdalene on how to build his church.

Again, she says false. Well I don't know that he didn't, but I haven't seen proof he did, either. That doesn't make it false, but unproven, in my world.

Claim5 -The Roman Catholic church killed 5 million women and children as witches. Well I have heard that one as well. She says it is a modern myth, but it could be based on the ratio of number of murdered verses the population of the time. How many people do they have to murder to make it a horrendous, apparently its Ok to put to death 40,000 to 100,000 ( a pretty large part of the population at the time) people if they disagree with you as long as your detractors don't exaggerate the figure.

Claim7- There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that she was from the tribe of Benjamin, or any other tribe for that matter. Any suggestion that she is from one tribe or another is not false but conjecture. She may have been, it hasn't been proven.

Claim8- Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a daughter named Sarah, who started the Merovingian dynasty.
Again False, there is no real evidence either way is there?

In the canonical Gospels and well as the Gnostic Texts, Mary Magdalene was the foremost among Jesus' women followers. I think this should read the Gnostic texts considered her foremost among his followers, the Women who knew the All.

As long as we turn for approval to the Vatican we will remain starved for the Feminine face of God. Females leaders were deliberately eliminated from the Bible. I think she worked too hard to fit it in to main line theology.

Now here's an interesting book.......2005-07-21

For someone like me who was raised a Lutheran, it's pretty confusing trying to keep up with all the new scholarship and, dare I say, the new religions. The New Age is a new religion, isn't it? People are trying to understand reality in a world that the Bible never dreamed of. I think this has happened time and time again, and when any one religion becomes too strong and too restrictive as the Catholic Church did, then people start mumbling and grumbling to be set free. Our Martin certainly grumbled. And he freed us from the Pope, bless him, and gave Christians a new way and new breath. But now people chafe at what has become old and there are so many taking so many paths, a person can just get confused trying to follow any one of them. So I was delighted to find this book about Mary Magdalene, who has always intriqued me, just as I said when I reviewed the wonderful The Secret Magdalene a little while ago. In this one book I can sample all sorts of ways of looking at the Magdalene...plus enjoy the appendices. I'm buying one for my sister's wedding aniversary. These days, all she can talk about is Mary Magdalene. I'll get her this book, and The Secret Magdalene, and maybe even something by Margaret Starbird. I'm not at all convinced by Ms Starbird's theories, but I do love her devotion to Mary.

A very nice use of The Complete Idiot's series..........2005-06-16

These days, with Mary Magdalene pretty much all the thing, we really do need someone to help us through the morass of information, misinformation, fact and fantasy going on in her name. Ms. (Miss?) Lesa Bellevie appears the perfect person to be that guide. I'm very happy with my copy.

Broadly informed, accessibly presented.......2005-05-31

Lesa Bellevie's book surveys and critiques a broad, comprehensive, and diverse array of studies and theories about Mary Magdalene, including the recent wave of scholarly and popular books on the subject.

Bellevie utilizes well the clear format provided by the Complete Idiot's Guide series, such as multiple section headings on each page, making it easy to jump in anywhere and rapidly skim.

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