The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau [Paperback]

Jean Markale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2004

An extensive examination of the religious anomalies and lost treasure of the Mary Magdalene Church in Rennes-le-Chⴥau

• Looks at the connection between the Templars, Cathars, and other enigmatic groups in the history of this church and the surrounding area

• Maintains that Mary Magdalene was the high priestess who anointed Jesus into his priesthood, in accordance with ancient religious tradition

• Explores the role of the Sacred Feminine in early Christian Church history

The small church of Rennes-le-Chⴥau, in a remote village in southern France, may well hold the key to the proof of Mary Magdalene’s marriage to Jesus and the bloodline they founded. In 1885 the village of Rennes-le-Chⴥau welcomed a new priest, Abbe Sauni貥, for its church dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. Abbe Sauni貥 ordered very strange restoration work for the church, and it is thought that he discovered something during this renovation that brought him to the attention of the power brokers of that time and made him a very rich man. Possible identifications of his discovery range from the gold pillaged from Delphi in Roman times; the treasure brought out of Jerusalem by the Templars, who had a strong presence in this area; and the missing Cathar treasure, spirited out of Monts駵r mere days before the fall of that fortress.

Yet even more curious and compelling is this church’s ambiguous portrayal of Mary Magdalene. Markale explains that the unusual depictions of Mary in the church hint at an even more archaic role performed by Mary that could shake the very foundations of the Church if it were fully understood: that of the high priestess who anoints the priest king into his spiritual duties.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . .combines philosophy, research, vivid drama, history lessons, and a murder mystery....may shake the foundations of Christianity. . . .The book will appeal to spiritual seekers, as well as [those] interested in conspiracy theories."
(Jackie Olsen, New Age Retailer, New Year 2005 )

"This is a great read, a well written story, and an insightful view into the Rennes-le-Chateau tale. . . .uncovers the key to the suppressed role of Mary Magdelene in Christian history."
(

Robert Burns, New Dawn, Nov-Dec 2004

)

". . . an astute, scholarly, investigative book . . ."
(Leo Vincent Kriz, Library Journal, Oct 2004 )

"Markale, a historian who was a specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne, combines his extensive knowledge of the Rennes region with a storyteller's flair to produce a book that is as entertaining as it is informative."
(Janet Brennan, Fate, Apr 2005 )

". . .the kind of writing that makes the reader want to pull an armchair up to the fireplace, pour a glass of sherry, and settle in for a good yarn."
(Janet Brennan, Fate, Apr 2005 )

From the Back Cover

RELIGION / HISTORY

      The Church of Mary Magdalene

The small Church of Mary Magdalene in the remote village of Rennes-le-Château in southern France may well hold the key to the proof of Mary Magdalene’s marriage to Jesus and the bloodline they founded. In 1885 the village of Rennes-le-Château welcomed a new priest, Abbe Saunière. During his time there he ordered and oversaw a substantial--and expensive--restoration of the church. But where did this modest priest get the funds for this work? It is thought that he discovered something during the initial renovations that made him a very rich man and brought him to the attention of various power brokers of the time both from within the Church and from esoteric circles in Paris. Theories of what this discovery was have ranged from the gold pillaged from Delphi in Roman times and the treasure brought from Jerusalem by the Templars to the Cathar treasure said to have been spirited away from Montségur days before that fortress fell.

Even more curious and compelling, however, are the church renovations themselves and their ambiguous portrayal of Mary Magdalene. This depiction could shake the very foundations of the Church with its suggestion that Mary’s role was that of the priestess who anoints the priest-king in preparation for his spiritual duties.

Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, JEAN MARKALE has spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He is the author of more than forty books, including Montségur and the Mystery of the Cathars, The Templar Treasure at Gisor, The Celts, and Women of the Celts. He was a specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne and lives in the Brittany region of France.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (June 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892811994
• ISBN-13: 978-0892811991
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Goddesses

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kept me curious throughout, November 11, 2007

By 

Paul Dsouza (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau (Paperback)

I read this book after reading The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail and was deeply moved by it. Within a short while, the small church of Rennes-le-Château in the remote village of southern France had become my primary concern.

This book makes no bones about the fact that Mary Magdalenes married Jesus and created a bloodline. It vety clearly attempts to establish that Mary Magdalene was a high priestess whose primary responsibility was to "initiate" Jesus, a position taken by several books recently including The Rozabal Line.

I loved the book even though at times I felt that the pace could have picked up a little. The good thing is that it kept my curiosity level high enough to want to reach the end.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good detail, but lacks rationality, March 26, 2006

By 

hbcarter (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau (Paperback)

Jean Markale provides a lot of details about the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau, many of which are unavailable in books that are wider in scope. I had enough background in the story of the church to make this useful, but I can't say the book made the mystery seem interesting on its own.

The problem is Markale's perspective. He is extremely spiritual, which would normally not be a problem, but this book (and his others) seem to be an attempt at justifying his personal feelings of spirituality. It results in a strange mixture of personal observations, document review, and philosophizing on the nature of Man. The rationalist or historian will have to struggle through early sections that include Markale's wife and "obscure powers that guide our actions on earth," and I can't imagine someone looking for inspiration will want to sift through an 1897 police report.

There are also some wild speculations and assumptions that are only acceptable because of their transparency. For example, at one point, Markale dismisses a particular theory because he knows someone who is just like one of the historical figures, and he can't imagine his friend acting that way. His analysis of the origin of names is also suspect--he even points out an occasion when his own derivation is at odds with that of every other trained linguist.

With all of those reservations, this book still might be worth the struggle for someone familiar with the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau. For anyone else, I recommend a book with a broader overview and better structure (ex: Holy Blood Holy Grail, The Hiram Key) to gauge whether a deeper look is warranted.

20 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mary Magdalene influence on history of Christianity, September 5, 2004

By 

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau (Paperback)

THE CHURCH OF MARY MAGDALENE - The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau by Jean Markale. Inner Traditions, One Park St., Rochester, VT 05767; www.innertraditions.com; [e-mail]. 311 pp. $18.95 trade paper, ISBN 0-89281-199-4. illustrations, footnotes, index.
Markale considers that the mysterious Abbe Sauniere and the designs he sought for the Mary Magdalene Church in a remote area of southern France associated with the Cathar heretics and other controversial Catholic groups such as the Templars are symbolic of the belief that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. The Abbe was active in this area in the late 1800s. He was himself a controversial figure who antagonized French politicians while also currying favor with local wealthy patrons who helped him with his project. The Abbe's project also calls into question the place of Jesus's mother Mary in the foundation of the Catholic Church and Christianity. Markale does much guesswork based on bringing together clues scattered widely over time and place to shed light on and raise both theological and historical questions about the origins and shaping of Christianity. He's the author of previous books on similar subjects and ancient Celtic culture.