The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of ChristianityThe author of The Wisdom Jesus takes readers on a journey to discover the real Mary Magdalene—and finds a powerful, ancient model for 21st-century spirituality Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christianity—yet, if you look in the Bible, you’ll find only a handful of verses that speak of her. How did she become such a compelling saint in the face of such paltry evidence? In her effort to answer that question, Cynthia Bourgeault examines the Bible, church tradition, art, legend, and newly discovered texts to see what’s there. She then applies her own reasoning and intuition, informed by the wisdom of the ages-old Christian contemplative tradition. What emerges is a radical view of Mary Magdalene as Jesus’s most important disciple, the one he considered to understand his teaching best. That teaching was characterized by a nondualistic approach to the world and by a deep understanding of the value of the feminine. Cynthia shows how an understanding of Mary Magdalene can revitalize contemporary Christianity, how Christians and others can, through her, find their way to Jesus’s original teachings and apply them to their modern lives. |
Contents
3 | |
17 | |
30 | |
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene | 43 |
Dying and Rising | 57 |
Winners and Losers | 74 |
part two Mary Magdalene as Beloved | 83 |
Reclaiming the Path of Romantic Love | 85 |
Substituted Love | 148 |
First Apostle | 163 |
The Alchemical Feminine | 169 |
Anointing and Anointed | 181 |
Why France? | 191 |
The Wisdom Mary Magdalene | 206 |
Mary Magdalene and the Song of Songs | 221 |
The Anointing according to John | 233 |
Other editions - View all
The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of ... Cynthia Bourgeault No preview available - 2010 |
The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of ... Cynthia Bourgeault No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
actually analogue anointing apostle archetype become beloved body bridal chamber celibacy celibate chapter Christian Christianity’s church conscious love contemporary core cosmic Da Vinci Code death dialogue disciples divine energy eros fact female feminine Fifth Way love Fifth Way path gnostic Gospel of John Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of Thomas healing heart human icon imaginal Jean-Yves Leloup Jesus and Mary Jesus’s John’s Karen King Ken Wilber kenosis kenotic liturgy logion lovers Luke Luminous Gospels Lynn Bauman Magdalene and Jesus Magdalene’s male Margaret Starbird Mary Magdalene Mary of Bethany master story Matthew meaning metaphysical monastic Mystery mystical one’s passage passion path of conscious powerful presence reality realm resurrection sacrament sacred scholars scriptural sexual simply single Song of Songs soul spiritual substituted love symbolic teaching theology tion tomb transformation true union Vinci Code vision visionary whole wisdom woman women words