The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle Author: Visit Amazon's Karen L. King Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0944344585 | Format: PDF
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle Description
From Publishers Weekly
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, a second-century gospel that was discovered in the 19th century and not published until 1955, shows Mary to be the apostle (yes, apostle) to whom Jesus revealed deep theological insights. King, a professor at Harvard Divinity School and author of What Is Gnosticism?, argues that the Gospel prefers inner spiritual knowledge to exterior forms such as the law and that it reveals some of the gender conflicts and spiritual divisions of the early Christian movement. King places translations of two extant fragments of the Gospel of Mary side by side, so readers can see the slight differences that appear in the originals. (Because approximately 10 pages of the Gospel are still lost, scholars believe we only have about half of its original material.) In the brief text, the male apostles are afraid and despondent after Jesus' post-resurrection departure, so Mary tries to cheer them by revealing some of the esoteric teachings that Jesus imparted to her alone. But the teachings cause discord, as Peter and others refuse to believe that Jesus would have given such "strange ideas" to a woman. ("Did he choose her over us?" a petulant Peter asks.) The bulk of King's book takes up various issues raised by the text-questions about the Son of Man, law, women's authority, visionary experiences and the body. This is a serious scholarly study with the apparatus of an academic book, including Coptic facsimiles of the papyrus, and Coptic and Greek phrases sprinkled throughout the text.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
a complete translation ... together with a lucidly written, marvelously informative discussion of where it comes from and what it means. --
Elaine Pagels, Harrington Spear Paine Foundation Professor of Religion at Princeton University See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 230 pages
- Publisher: Polebridge Press (January 1, 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0944344585
- ISBN-13: 978-0944344583
- Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Karen L. King is a Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard University Divinity School. In "The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle," she turns her attention to deciphering the importance of this early piece of Christian literature. The Gospel of Mary was written early in the second century A.D. but then "disappeared for over fifteen hundred years until a single, fragmentary copy . . . came to light in the late nineteenth century." Additional fragments were discovered in 1917 and 1983. The first six pages and an additional four pages from the middle of the gospel are missing. The few pages that have been found provide a very different picture of early Christianity than that which has come down to us through the established canon. King's purpose in publishing this work is not to undermine the tradition of scripture, but rather to provide a better understanding of the forces at work that helped shape early Christianity.
The entire gospel takes place after the resurrection of Jesus. He has appeared to the disciples one last time, instructing them regarding the nature of sin. Jesus tells them that sin comes from people not recognizing their true spiritual nature and instead focusing on the things of this world. After this final teaching, he directs them to go out and preach his word, and then he departs. The disciples are left, but instead of rushing out to preach, they fear for their lives. Mary Magdalene is the only one who remains steadfast and she seeks to comfort the others. Peter asks her to share any of Jesus' teaching that she alone might possess. Mary relates a vision that she had in which Jesus described the soul's departure from this world and the powers that would attempt to stop it from ascending to its final resting place.
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