The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus (Paperback)

by Marvin Meyer (Author), Esther A. De Boer (Author) "THE GOSPELS OF MARK, Matthew, Luke, and John are the four New Testament Gospels, and the Gospel of Peter is a related fragmentary Gospel..." (more)
Key Phrases: gnostic texts, wedding chamber, male disciples, Mary Magdalene, Gospel of Mary, Pistis Sophia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
One of the foremost scholars on Gnosticism now explores the fascinating and often misinterpreted woman known as Mary Magdalene. Following the recent whirl of interest in Mary Magdalene that was generated by The Da Vinci Code, Marvin Meyer (The Ancient Mysteries) delves into the earliest texts available to reveal a disciple of great spiritual maturity who was extremely influential in the survival of Christianity. Although he is doubtful of the grand conspiracies laid out in The Da Vinci Code, Meyers does believe that it was institutionalized sexism that caused Mary to be deliberately "marginalized" as a prostitute in the New Testament. "The portrait of Mary in literature and art as a reformed whore is impressive, but it is mistaken in terms of historical accuracy and literary interpretation," he asserts. "…It was not until the late sixth century that Po! pe Gregory the Great formally identified Mary Magdalene with the prostitute of Luke 7, and the identification stuck." In fact, Meyer claims that there is no convincing documentation to link Mary with the unnamed prostitute who washes Jesus' feet with her tears. Using his scholarly authority as well as extensive research supplied by Esther A. De Boer, Ph.D. (Mary Magdalene: Beyond the Myth), he helps Mary emerge from the shadows of Orthodox Church and gain her rightful place as the highly influential disciple and apostle of Jesus. He believes that Mary had a physical love relationship with Jesus, and was probably the mysterious "beloved" disciple that is mentioned in the Gospel of John. Furthermore, he believes that Jesus may have seen Mary as the most spiritually evolved disciple. Much of the book includes quotes and interpretations of the earliest literary sources available, including the recently discovered Gospel of Mary (written in the second century), as well as the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, Peter, Thomas, and Phillip. --Gail Hudson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"[Sheds] new light on the role and the spiritual importance of Mary Magdalene in the early Christian tradition." -- Spirituality and Health magazine --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (March 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006083451X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060834517
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,303 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beloved Disciple., May 4, 2004

By	C. Middleton (Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus (Hardcover)

Since the discovery of The Gospel of Mary in the late nineteenth century in Egypt and the Nag Hammadi texts in 1947, the figure of Mary Magdalene has gained prominence in religious scholarly circles as well as popular culture.

The first to bring Mary Magdalene to a wider audience was Elaine Pagels' groundbreaking text, The Gnostic Gospels. Though, interestingly, it was the popular thriller by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, that really caught the imagination of a wide readership, sparking many texts, both scholarly and otherwise, to be published.

Marvin Meyer, editor of the Gospel of Thomas, has written and compiled in this text a selection of extracanonical literature, including the New Testament Gospels, revealing the central role of Mary Magdalene in the formation and history of Christianity. However, Meyer points out, that, The New Testament obscured the importance of Magdalene's role through the interest of the author's who..."advanced the cause of the male disciples (especially the Twelve) and the place of Peter." (iiv) There is no doubt that Mary Magdalene, after reading this brief though informative selection of texts, was the beloved disciple to Jesus, and for many reasons, culturally, politically or otherwise, her importance was suppressed, and only now, over two thousand years after the birth of Christianity, has her central role as apostle and teacher, is gaining prominence once again.

Meyer's has compiled a selection of Christian literature, including segments of the New Testament, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, The Gospel of Mary, Thomas, Phillip, The Dialogue of the Savoir, excerpts from the Gnostic text, Pistis Sophia and segments from The Manichaean Psalms of Heracleides, that all mention Mary Magdalene in one context or another, emphasising her close relationship with Jesus and her pivotal role in Christs crucifixion and resurrection.

Close examination of the numerous non-canonical texts along with the New Testament, to my mind, will only strengthen one's belief and spiritual insights into the divine. There are many reasons why the figure of Mary Magdalene has been marginalized from the "official" church, however, her emergence as the beloved companion to Jesus in our modern times from the "shadows of history", can only nurture our spiritual natures, guiding us on our personal journeys.

This book is a short though quality addition to Christian literary scholarship.

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will the real Mary please stand up?, September 22, 2005

By	FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus (Hardcover)

Anyone who has heard of the Da Vinci Code (which is, by now, much of the world) will likely also know that the central idea is that Mary Magdalene was a rather different person in actual life than the person portrayed in church tradition and the gospel extrapolations.

Indeed, as has become better known in the past generation, there were many more gospels floating around the early Christian world than the canonical four (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), most of which were lost to the world through various processes. Among the stronger early traditions that later got branded as heretical was the Gnostic tradition, and in this community, Mary Magdalene had a place of honour.

Drawing from the four canonical gospels, as well as writings such as the Gospel of Peter (in fragmentary form), the Gospel of Thomas (a collection of sayings), the Gospel of Philip, the Pistis Sophia and other texts including the Gospel of Mary, Marvin Meyer presents a new look at the importance of Mary Magdalene as being one of the most important figures in early Christianity. The Eastern church has preserved her memory of prominence, often referring to her as the Apostle to the Apostles, the first to announce the resurrection and the first to witness the risen Christ. These recollections are preserved in the canonical witness.

The Gospel of Mary exists in a fragmentary form among the Nag Hammadi documents, discovered in 1947. Many pages are missing, including the beginning, middle and ending. However, the character of Mary is highlighted in many gospels; Meyer selects texts throughout the various gospels to show an extensive interaction between Jesus and Mary, the other disciples and Mary, and Mary's own prominence as a witness to the outside world.

This text presents a more realistic way of viewing the character of Mary Magdalene than sources such as Da Vinci Code/Holy Blood, Holy Grail/Woman with the Alabaster Jar present. According to Meyer, 'the sources about Mary Magdalene published here may not be as flamboyant as some of these later legends, but they are more trustworthy as witnesses to the figure of Mary and literary traditions about Mary.' Indeed, Meyer speculates that Mary might not have been only 'a' beloved disciple, but perhaps 'the' beloved disciple referred to not by name but by relationship in the canonical gospels.

This is a short text, consisting mostly of Meyer's own translations of the primary documents; Meyer's commentary is kept to a minimum, useful in its way, but he permits the texts to speak for themselves. He gives a useful index and helpful scholarly notes.

This book will be of special interest for those who want to dig deeper into the realities underpinning modern novels and explorations about the subject, and of general interest to those who want to see the diversity in Christian belief, practice and writing in the earlies centuries.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gospels of Mary, August 9, 2007

By	Mrs. Marian M. Campbell (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus (Hardcover)

A rivetting read. Confirms what I have always believed - women do have a role to play in the church other than arranging flowers, or providing morning tea.