The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle by Karen L. King (PDF)

Description

Lost for more than fifteen hundred years, the Gospel of Mary is the only existing early Christian gospel written in the name of a woman. Unlike the controversial Jesus’ Wife gospel fragment, the Gospel of Mary does not claim Mary was married to Jesus. But it does show her to be an important disciple to whom Jesus’ male disciples turn for advice and wisdom. Indeed, the apostle Peter specifically asks Mary to interpret the words of Jesus. Karen L. King tells the story of the recovery of this remarkable gospel and offers a new translation. This brief narrative presents a radical interpretation of Jesus’ teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. It rejects his suffering and death as a path to eternal life and exposes the view that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute for what it is – a piece of theological fiction. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala offers a fascinating glimpse into the conflicts and controversies that shaped earliest Christianity.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: 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 This is a rich, rewarding, and eyeopening review of how the only gospel written in the name of a woman can reveal the depth and diversity of the early Christian community. Strongly recommended … –Library JournalBest faith books of 2003 … accessible and fascinating … This book will have special appeal to those interested in history and whose devotion to the New Testament has them searching for a deeper understanding of the origins of Christian scripture. –St. Louis Post DispatchKaren King s Gospel of Mary of Magdala is a book that many readers are waiting for a complete translation of the Gospel of Mary 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 About the Author Karen King is Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard University in the Divinity School. An occasional consultant to the Ford Foundation on Religion and Human Rights, Dr. King has received awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst, Harvard Divinity School, the Irvine Foundation, and Occidental College. She is the author of What Is Gnosticism?, Revelation of the Unknowable God, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, and scores of articles in scholarly publications. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I really like this book. The author’s presentation is very insightful. Too bad we don’t yet have a copy of the full text in any of the archaeological finds.I would love to take classes from Karen King.I have two other scholarly books on Mary Magdalene but this one is my favorite.I bought it so that I could loan it to friends. I loaned out my first copy to so many different people I forgot who I loaned it to — so now I have another to share.Women seem surprised that a guy is interested in the story of Magdala, but I am.Like the other disciples she has something unique to share even if Peter was not yet ready to hear it.I was struck by the fact that there is no evidence to paint the Magdalene in the light that was painted by the early church of her as a fallen woman. Sad that today this view is taken as fact, though it would make little difference in terms of her authority and place as a disciple. But back then it did seem to have made a difference. But even Peter called himself a sinner.Clearly Mary of Magdala had a special place among the other disciples and they acknowledged that. How could they not?All Christians will be blessed if they read and grasped what Karen L. King is sharing historically about this person and about what Christ Jesus taught her that was to advanced for most to grasp.

⭐After reading Bourgeault’s excellent book The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, I’ve been alert for other books of the same subject. King’s book, while a more scholarly approach than Bourgeault’s, should not discourage the average lay reader to give this book a go. Thoroughly researched and sourced the reader will get a background to wisdom literature the early church and, of course, a thorough discussion of the Gospel of Mary. If, like me, you’re on a search for something that gives you a broad vision of the early Christian church, this book fills that need. When I say patience is rewarded, King’s last chapter The History of Christianity is the reward for sticking with the book to the last chapter. I will keep this book available on my shelf for not just references to the Gospel of Mary but for the history of the early Christian church. One in which controversy swirled and debates were the norm, only later did the hierarchy and rules and creeds displace a very dynamic and spiritual movement. A+ for a very well conceived and written book.

⭐After reading Brock’s masterful “Mary Magdalene, the First Apostle”, I was interested in reading more of the ancient texts on Mary Magdalene and those who have studied them.I then found this book. So far- so good. Reading it, it was obvious that Yeshua never said anything close to , “…the child of true Humanity”.Then it comes out on page 33. The author took the liberty to translate ‘kingdom’ as ‘realm’… and the phrase “Son of man” is translated “child of true Humanity.”Wow. So, the author criticizes those in the first century who ‘doctored texts to their liking’ – and then goes and does the same thing? – You just lost my confidence in you.I understand the pain. Misogyny is real. Mankind has not been favorable to women, much less to spiritual women.Anyone who indeed is a spiritual new creation who has died with Messiah – and that it has been revealed in/to them that there is no longer Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free is not going to get a welcome from the world- or (especially) from the religions of the world.The usual way to deal with such ‘troublemakers’ in history is to either shut them up for good (ie: death) – or to cast a slur on their character and/or their purity as a female. Such it was, and so it will continue.The author does get into the history of the early church ( a mess…) but remember that in all of the murkiness of the first hundreds of years of the common era, there was a LOT of struggle for authority and re-writing of ‘history’. People who stood for truth and for the Way of the Lord like Polycarp – were simply disposed of as heretics. (And THAT is the ‘church’ that women are trying to be recognized and be a part of yet today?! Most churches are ‘rebellious catholics’ by their worldly calendar and pyramid structure…)A better subject for the author to follow in another book, in my opinion, would be how Yeshua treated women. He sent the woman at the well to preach to her fellow townsmen and women of her revelation and testimony. He didn’t have a problem with her doing that. Yet she didn’t need any ‘official ordination’, – she just DID it out of the obedience of faith to the word of her Messiah.Also, take Lydia – the first convert of Paul. Another female. Another first. What is this saying? Think. If someone’s gospel can only go back to where the man and women fell in disobedience the garden, then they will be against women. ( Like Adam, gotta blame her…) Yet she was duped – her intent was to do him good with more knowledge, but he failed to protect her…But if one indeed is IN Messiah – who was breathed forth at the beginning from God when He said, “Let there be LIGHT” (follow the word Light through the scriptures) – then there WAS no division between male and female there at that point , it is spirit. That is where one has to come to -and rest/ abide in. A spiritual being in a temporary human vessel – like Yeshua – walking as he walked. ( As Mary Magdalene walked.)

⭐Read this book and realize that there are gospels not included on the traditional Bible which will change your life. Mary of Magdalene is according to Jesus at the moment of his resurrection “the Apostle of the Apostles!” The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels is a great introduction to this book.The Gospel of Mary Magdela is a profound read and sound scriptural theology. I have the equivalent to a Master’s in Theology from Duns SCOTUS Franciscan Theological College and Xavier University.Pax et Bonum,Dr. Larry

⭐A must read for anyone interested in the historical importance of Mary Magdalene. Recent discovery of this astonishing document lends credence to the theory that Mary Magdalene was of much more importance than most Christians have been led to believe. The popular “Da Vinci Code” opened public eyes to the idea that history was manipulated to underline this extraordinary woman. The actual text of this document believed to be the gospel of May … is very very short … but enormously telling. The depth of the messages shared with her by Christ is evidence that she was indeed a chosen repository of his deepest teachings … ones which he did not share with other desciples.

⭐Scholarly, imaginative, both within and outside the box of orthodoxy, her historical and personal sense of state and church, and their interactions to create society I fiind believable and profound. Well written, well documented with footnotes, this book is an important contribution church history and its broader impllications for our societies treatment of women and the Mystery which is beyond reason.

⭐Like Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene has been appropriated by numerous groups & individuals to endorse their particular interests. In recent years she has been presented as an occult priestess, Jesus’ spiritual twin, Jesus’ wife and/or concubine, the Founder of Celtic Christianity, a reincarnation of Nefertiti etc etc etc. The fragmentary gospel attributed to her has been used to support all of the above, and one writer with an Cathar agenda has even published a book that cobbles together the Gospel of Mary with that of John and changes the gender of the Beloved Disciple to female, in order to support the old “Da Vinci Code” theory that the figure leaning against Christ in “The Last Supper” painting is Mary, not John. (Totally ignoring the inevitable question of why John wasn’t at the Last Supper!)So, as one very interested in the truth about Mary Magdalene, rather than the fiction presented by the Western Church down the centuries, I was greatly relieved to find at last a scholarly book that treats the subject seriously and soberly.Other reviewers have covered the scope & quality of this volume, so all I’ll add is that quite a few of the other books available on this subject are guilty of presenting fanciful romance, rehashed folk stories and feminist invective as proven fact. They do the study of Mary Magdalene more harm than good.Just one example of the sort of fact-distortion several writers have committed is the statement that the apocryphal Gospel of Philip tells how Jesus often kissed Mary “on her mouth”. In actual fact the original manuscript is so badly damaged that there is a sizeable hole (lacuna) in it at that very phrase, so we’ve no way of knowing where he kissed her! It was just as likely to have been on her forehead, cheek or hands!

⭐This work by Karen L King is well researched, beautifully written and very readable. Best of all, it researches honestly into the early days of Christianity in an open-minded, honest fashion untrammelled by hindsight-boxes labelled variously as ‘heretical, gnostic, apocryphal, uncanonical’ and so on. The early Christians had no New Testament, which was not finalised in its present form until over 400 years after the time of Jesus. Books such as The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and The Gospel of Thomas may very well be just ‘the tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to early writings about Jesus and his teachings. It was a case of ‘winner takes all’ when it comes to what came to be regarded as either orthodox or heretical. Writings that did not agree with the viewpoint of powerful second century church leaders, such as Irenaeus of Lyons were suppressed. Few people could read or write in those days and printing had not been invented, which meant that copies of books were few and far between and thus more easily annihilated by those with another agenda.Ms King clearly shows how misleading it is to label willy-nilly all non-canonical scriptural writings as ‘gnostic’, a term not in use when The Gospel of Mary of Magdala was compiled, probably early in the Second Century AD, which pre-dates quite a number of the books currently included in the New Testament canon. We can now be more certain than ever that women played an important role in the leadership of the very early Church when, doctrine-wise, Christianity was more deeply divided than it is today when Plymouth Brethren and Roman Catholics have more in common with each other than did the various factions in those far off days. The problem that now faces us is, which of those early factions was nearest to the teaching of Jesus? When the Gospel of Mary of Magdala talks about ‘The Saviour’ is he the same person as the Christ written about by Saint Paul? Is the Pauline Christ the same person as the Jesus who was the close friend of Mary of Magdala? Have we been ‘led up the garden path’ by a frustrated hoard of power-hungry, mysoginistic male mega-egoists? History clearly teaches us that male-dominated Christianity of most kinds has made a hash of things. Seeing as Mary of Magdala had a very special relationship with Jesus, it’s surely time that pontificating males stood aside and handed the leadership of Christianity over to the ladies. I’m all for that.

⭐Book neatly ties up the many loose threads of the story of Mary of Magdala. New viewpoint of the origins of Christianity and womans role in advancing the propagation of the faith.

⭐Good book

⭐Ok

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