The Everything Mary Magdalene Book

Furnishes an in-depth study of the life of Jesus's most misunderstood and enigmatic disciple, providing a revealing look at the facts, fallacies, and myths about the life of Mary Magdalene and her role in the early Christian church, as well as her legacy for modern-day Christianity. Original. 40,000 first printing.

* Across the country, biblical women are the subject of Bible study groups, Web sites, and reading groups * Includes fascinating female figures from both the Old and New Testament * Everything® religion books have sold 350,000 copies From Eve, the first mother of humankind; to Bathsheba, King David's illicit love; to Mary Magdalene, eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus, The Everything® Women of the Bible Book examines the women's lives and their roles in the Jewish and Christian faiths. This accessible guide introduces readers to the female characters of the Bible, including: * Adulteresses, Courtesans, Dancers, and Deceivers * Women Who Caused Murder * Prophetesses * Great Beauties * Disciples and Followers of Jesus The Everything® Women of the Bible Book is filled with fascinating and moving stories of women living in extraordinary times. AUTHOR: Meera Lester (San Jose, CA), an internationally published author, converted to Catholicism when she was a teenager. She is the author of The Everything® Gnostic Gospels Book, The Everything® Mary Magdalene Book, and Mary Magdalene: The Modern Guide to the Bible's Most Mysterious and Misunderstood Woman.

Restores to the forefront of the Christian tradition the importance of the divine feminine • The first complete English-language translation of the original Coptic Gospel of Mary, with line-by-line commentary • Reveals the eminence of the divine feminine in Christian thought • Offers a new perspective on the life of one of the most controversial figures in the Western spiritual tradition Perhaps no figure in biblical scholarship has been the subject of more controversy and debate than Mary Magdalene. Also known as Miriam of Magdala, Mary Magdalene was considered by the apostle John to be the founder of Christianity because she was the first witness to the Resurrection. In most theological studies she has been depicted as a reformed prostitute, the redeemed sinner who exemplifies Christ's mercy. Today's reader can ponder her role in the gospels of Philip, Thomas, Peter, and Bartholomew--the collection of what have come to be known as the Gnostic gospels rejected by the early Christian church. Mary's own gospel is among these, but until now it has remained unknown to the public at large. Orthodox theologian Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel of Mary from the Coptic and his thorough and profound commentary on this text are presented here for the first time in English. The gospel text and the spiritual exegesis of Leloup together reveal unique teachings that emphasize the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere. What emerges from this important source text and commentary is a renewal of the sacred feminine in the Western spiritual tradition and a new vision for Christian thought and faith throughout the world.

With The Everything Mary Magdalene Book, you'll unravel the mystery of the Bible's most misunderstood woman. As an eyewitness to Jesus' resurrection and the turbulent birth of Christianity, Mary Magdalene played a crucial yet unexamined role in the Bible-until now. In this comprehensive investigative guide to the life of Mary Magdalene, you'll explore: Complete and concise analyses of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament Mary Magdalene's appearance in the Gnostic gospels The shaky basis for the interpretation of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute The modern discoveries and representations of Mary Magdalene as a vital follower of Jesus' early movements Mary Magdalene's inspirational role in the world today From her misrepresentation as a fallen woman to her growing impact on modern Christianity, The Everything Mary Magdalene Book details the Bible's most enigmatic of Jesus' followers, putting some myths to rest and bringing the truth to light!

The New York Times bestselling author of The Splendor Before the Dark reveals the untold story of Mary Magdalene—a disciple of Jesus Christ and the most mysterious woman in the Bible. Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared—and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific, “Apostle to the Apostles.” Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice as she moves from girlhood to womanhood, becomes part of the circle of disciples, and comes to grips with the divine. While grounded in biblical scholarship and secular research, Mary, Called Magdalene ultimately transcends both history and fiction to become a “diary of a soul.”

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. 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 glimpse into the conflicts and controversies that shaped earliest Christianity.

Long maligned as a prostitute or a woman of questionable reputation, Mary Magdalene's murky story seems lost to the sands of time. Now a portrait of this enigmatic woman comes to life in the hands of an imaginative master storyteller. Diana Wallis Taylor's Mary is a woman devastated by circumstances beyond her control and plagued with terrifying dreams--until she has a life-changing confrontation with the Savior. Lovers of historical and biblical fiction will find this creative telling of Mary's story utterly original and respectful as it opens their eyes to the redeeming work of Christ in the lives of those who follow him.

After 2,000 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 traces the evolving images of Mary Magdalene and the legends surrounding her. He explains why, despite her prominence, the Gospels actually say so little about her and why the Catholic Church for thousands of years has sought to marginalize her importance. In a probing look at the Church’s attitudes toward women, he investigates Christian misogyny in the ancient world, including the suppression of women priests who patterned their activities on Mary’s; explores the impact of Gnostic ambivalence toward women on its depictions of Mary; and shows that these traditions still influence modern portrayals of her. 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 teachings that shaped Jesus’ own teachings and a woman who was a religious master in her own right.