The Goddess in the Gospels: Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine [Paperback]

Margaret Starbird (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 1998

In an era that has reclaimed many aspects of the feminine, Margaret Starbird’s The Woman with the Alabaster Jar stands out as a courageous exploration of the scorned feminine in the Western religious tradition. But espousing the marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene created a personal crisis for this Catholic scholar. In The Goddess in the Gospels the author tells how she was guided in her ever-deepening study of the New Testament and the gematria--number coding of the Greek alphabet--by an incredible series of synchronicities that mirror the inner and outer worlds and which reveal the Sacred Marriage of male and female--the hieros gamous--leading to her own personal redemption.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book by Margaret Starbird will raise new questions, challenge preconceived ideas, and spark controversy. In the twenty-first century, Christianity needs to reclaim the divine feminine at its heart and celebrate the partnership that Jesus lived, especially with Mary of Magdala.” (Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, author of Praying with Women of the Bible)

"Mary Starbird's books help pave the way to access a new liturgy in which woman's natural life processes are sanctified and the archetype of physical union restored." (Griselda Steiner, The Dark Bride)

"Margaret Starbird has done it again! Her new book will raise new questions, challenge preconceived ideas, and spark controversy, as did her first book." (Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, author of Praying with Women of the Bible)

"Margaret Starbird's work is of particular interest to me because it fuses the diverse fields of symbolism, mythology, art, heraldry, psychology, and gospel history. Her research opens doors for each of us to further explore the rich iconography of our own spiritual history." (Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code)

"Margaret Starbird has turned her courageous spiritual journey into a corageous book that will comfort some and challenge many." (Virginia Ann Froehle, author of Loving Yourself More: 101 Meditations for Women)

From the Back Cover

WOMEN’S STUDIES / CREATION SPIRITUALITY

In an era that has reclaimed many aspects of the feminine, Margaret Starbird’s The Woman with the Alabaster Jar stood out as a courageous exploration of the scorned and repudiated feminine in the Western religious tradition. But espousing the marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene created a personal crisis for this Catholic scholar.

In The Goddess in the Gospels, the author tells how she was guided in her personal search and her ever-deepening study of the New Testament and gematria--number coding of the Greek alphabet--by an incredible series of synchronicities. It was this mirroring of inner and outer worlds that revealed the Sacred Marriage of male and female--the hieros gamous--and led to her personal redemption.

“This book by Margaret Starbird will raise new questions, challenge preconceived ideas, and spark controversy. In the twenty-first century, Christianity needs to reclaim the divine feminine at its heart and celebrate the partnership that Jesus lived, especially with Mary of Magdala.”
--Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, author of Praying with Women of the Bible

"Margaret Starbird has turned her courageous spiritual journey into a corageous book that will comfort some and challenge many."
--Virginia Ann Froehle, author of Loving Yourself More: 101 Meditations for Women

MARGARET STARBIRD holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland and has studied at the Christian Albrechts Universität in Keil, Germany, and at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is the author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail. Starbird lives with her family in the Puget Sound area of Washington state.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company; Original edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187918155X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879181557
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5.3 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #434,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roman Catholic scholar Margaret Starbird's extensive study of history, symbolism, medieval art, mythology, psychology, and the Bible uncovers new and compelling evidence that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalen. Starbird's investigation of this suppressed history calls for a restoration of the feminine principle to its intended place in the canon of Christianity.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 102 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars GODDE IS.... January 1, 2004

By Dianne Foster HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

In THE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS, Margaret Starbird shares the story behind the story of `The Woman with the Alabaster Jar'. In many ways, the personal spiritual journey Starbird experienced and shares with the reader in GODDESS is a more compelling tale than the one she eventually wrote about the Magdalene. GODDESS has much in common with `The Dance of the Dissident Daughter' by Sue Monk Kidd. (Kidd acknowledges Starbird's influence in her book). GODDESS also nicely complements HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL.

Like many women born into religious orthodoxy, Starbird struggled for years to live by the rules of conduct the church prescribed for women. Because she is a person of great depth, intelligence, grace, and spiritual awareness, her attempt to live within the narrow, confined and misogynist tradition of her church led her to the edge of madness. After a very scary brush with insanity, she accepted the Grail-the path of enlightenment.

Starbird concludes that women have long been treated shamefully by orthodox Christianity - especially the Roman Catholic Church. She suggests the RCC abandoned the true message of Jesus when it distorted the memory of the Magdalene as it institutionalized in the 4th century. In recent years, the RCC has made a small effort to ameliorate its decidedly misogynist practices, but these efforts are inadequate and come too late for millions of women. Starbird suggests that if the RCC does not make drastic changes soon it is doomed. It simply will not do for the church to treat women as anything less than co-equal with men. Just as the Magdalene was co-equal with Jesus, all women are co-equal with all men. Furthermore, the church needs to change its attitude toward birth control, divorce, married priests, and women priests, etc.... In short, its time for the church to undergo a Reformation. Read more ›

59 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Courageous Spiritual Search August 11, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

The Goddess in the Gospels is not a history-- it is the story of a spiritual quest and should be read as such. Starbird's journey reflects that of many men and women who have sought a deeper spiritual connection and arrived at the belief that a new paradigm-- that of male-female partnership-- is needed in the temporal and spiritual realms.

Interestingly, Starbird's thesis is reflected in Native American wisdom teachings and in the Jewish Kabbalah, as well as in
secular studies such as "The Chalice and the Blade". This memoir extends the concept of a shared male-female paradigm to a Christian context, and is important in this respect.

Note that this book is a memoir, and should be read as such. Those interested in evidence that supports Starbird's thesis are best directed to her Woman with the Alabaster Jar, and the extensive bibliography provided therein. In addition, Starbird has clearly been in the vanguard of spiritual exploration-- her efforts began during the 1970s and have extended over a period of close to 30 years. Thus, her views should be of interest to those who have embarked more recently on a spiritual quest.

65 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No longer shall you be called "forsaken" ... November 29, 1999

By Annette Hulefeld

Format:Paperback

Margaret Starbird's book is sacred water for all of us who have wandered in the dry wasteland that promotes separation/alienation/dismissal of the Woman in the Church, in Institutions. Her book is divinely inspired and deeply researched in order to break through layers of hidden truths. Finally, we have a true mystical woman sharing the journey of the Song of Songs, searching, agonizing, wandering to find her Beloved - and all of us can rejoice in the journey! Her book is filled with synchronicities,inspirations, etc., all of which are in keeping with the underlying principle of Universal connectedness and mysticism. I believe her message is a MUST read - as a Church, as a culture, we must be willing to reclaim the Bride of Christ, to shift the paradigm of Holy Mother Church and Son to Husband and Wife, Do we have ears to hear? Let your heart be broken open by this book - it could change your life!

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sacred Story - Sacred Search December 6, 1999

By Mary T. Beben

Format:Paperback

Margaret Starbird's style of research, her way of prayer, and her insistence on serving only truth are so rare in today's world as to be easily misunderstood. This book gives a glimpse into her journey and the amazing courage it took to stand shoulder to shoulder with truth despite the personal cost. By sharing searingly personal information about the ways that God led her to her discoveries, she makes herself vulnerable to critics who have never understood what it means to sacrifice everything for God's sake. But the descent she made into darkness only strengthened her as God's testing strengthens all who accept it. She brings us an image of ancient symbols and ancient ways of wisdom made fresh again for today when they are so needed in a world gone dry. If one knows how to drink from this rich well-spring, let them drink! Margaret's message is not meant to destroy the faith of her youth, but to restore its lifegiving vitality.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Read This Book First April 24, 2004

By Explorer Jen

Format:Paperback

To get the most out of Margaret Starbird's personal religious journey memoir, please read her other more scholarly works first. It will be less confusing for you. Otherwise, it is a good read on what one might go through when taking a leap of faith in a completely different direction.

98 of 133 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Forgive us faithful......" December 18, 1999

By Rod McClure

Format:Paperback

Goddess of the Gospels gives the church the best opportunity to confess to their faithful since the release of the Dead Sea scrolls and is a must read for all who love Jesus and his teachings. A mind expanding spiritual journey supporting growing evidence that Jesus and his family were denied justice after he challenged priestly power of his day. Persecution and crucifiction grewn to a conspiracy which continued for 2000 years behind the habits of church politicians and the robes and power of their fellow brethren as they schemed and defaced the true life of the annointed Christ and his wife Mary Magdalene We are told our present Pope was born on the day of a lunar eclipse when the symbolic female passed before the male to activate the feme of this wonderful Pontiff. This feme is the holy grail, the chalice of Mary Magdalene the female within male, balance, love and logic. Margaret Starbird demonstrates her spirit, Catholic faith, her courage and conviction, with genuine feminine intuition and womans wisdom. Margaret deserves the accolades offered in tribute of this wonderful work. Let this knowledge be known and shared, such expressions of love will positively influence the future to the womb of creation.