Traditions and Reputation Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene is a perfect role model for Christian Women who want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ with all honesty and dedication. You do not have to search unbiblical sources to make her something she was not.
The reputation of Mary Magdalene was trashed and ruined in the book The Da Vinci Code which was a thriller story involving secret societies, conspiracies, the Catholic Church, and the fictional “truth” about Jesus Christ. It was a fiction book that was taken as being the factual truth. This fictional story promoted the idea that: Jesus was not God; only a man; Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they had two daughters in Europe; Mary Magdalene was to be worshiped as a goddess; that she was to establish the church not Peter; That there is a secret society known as the Priory of Sion that still worships Mary Magdalene as a goddess and is trying to keep the truth alive. (Brown D. 2004).
The book The Da Vinci Code is not the only source that has led to the misunderstanding about Mary Magdalene. The reputation of Mary Magdalene being a prostitute, the sinner, and the Mary the sister of Martha and the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her hair all came from the 6th century Pope Gregory the Great who made these assumption official in a Homily on the Gospels on the Gospel of John.
There are several New Testament stories that have become associated with Mary Magdalene where she is not named. She is not named as the woman who anointed Jesus (Luke 7:37). Mary Magdalene is not named as the Mary who is the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:19). Mary Magdalene is not named as the woman caught in adultery that Jesus rescues from stoning. (John 8:2-11). It was these confusions that Pope Gregory the Great confused and why Mary Magdalene was considered to be a prostitute. (Fahlbusch. 1999-2002).
Since that time there has been non-biblical image of Magdalene as a repentant prostitute is an image that had been officially sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church in the sixth century. And it’s that image that has been perpetuated by dozens of Christian books, paintings and movies ever since. The Catholic Church did later declare that Mary Magdalene was not the penitent sinner, but this was not until 1969. The reputation of Mary Magdalene being a prostitute still lingers today.
It is important to mention that Mary Magdalene is mentioned in all four Gospels and there is no indication that he was a prostitute. It is mentioned that she had seven demons which were removed by Jesus in Luke 8:2. Mary Magdalene was sent to the Apostles to tell them of the news that Christ had risen from the dead. Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-18; John 20:1-10.
Pope John Paul II, September 30, 1988 in an apostolic letter on women titled: ”Mulieris Dignitatem” emphasizes that ; “Both man and woman are human beings to an equal degree, both are created in God’s image.” The pope explores the attitude of Jesus toward women in the Gospels. “It is universally admitted…that in the eyes of his contemporaries Christ became a promoter of women’s true dignity and of the vocation corresponding” to it, the pope writes. Pope John Paul II recognized that there was a difference between Mary, the mother of Christ and “his mother’s sister Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). He referred to Mary Magdalene as the “the apostle of the apostles.”
Pope Benedict XVI acclaimed the role of women in Church history at Vatican City, Feb. 14, 2007, in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 20,000 people. Pope Benedict recalled how St. Thomas Aquinas referred to Mary Magdalene as “the apostle of the apostles.” This is because Jesus chose Mary Magdalene to be the first eyewitness of His Risen state. She was a faithful follower. (Benedict XVI 2007).
The Eastern Orthodox tradition never became victim to the ambiguous descriptions of Mary Magdalene. They gave her a powerful place in their church according to the four Gospels and recognize Mary of Magdalene as being the one who spread the good news that Jesus Christ was indeed Risen. (Winkett. L. 2002. pp 29).
Apocryphal texts or Gnostic Literature: Nag Hammadi, in southern Egypt there were two men who came across a sealed ceramic jar that contained ancient papyrus books. They are considered to be more important for writings the history of early Christianity than the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are a cache of Christian texts. They were written in Coptic, the language of early Christian Egypt. None of the discovered texts are included in the Bible but are referred to as apocryphal. Mary Magdalene is included as being a disciple of Jesus in galilee and a witness to the resurrection she is not cast in a negative light. The Gospel of Philip (63, 34–37) is particular controversial with the observation that “the Savior loved her more than all the disciples.” (Fahlbusch,447).
The Feminist view: is that Mary Magdalene is an honorable model of discipleship and apostleship. Mary Magdalene like Jesus is exposed to a cultural makeover. The Feminist concentrate on their hierarchy of the male leadership their studies of Mary Magdalene since 1975 have strived to reread the ancient sources in over to make Mary Magdalene the “the true feminine model, one which, according to the gospels, embodies strength, courage and independence, all feminine qualities which the Church has attempted to suppress.” (Perkins R.L. 2006).
Mary Magdalene is becoming a role model for women who expect more important roles for themselves and in their personal churches. Scholars use Mary Magdalene as a symbol of the important role of women in early Christianity, as they work out the implications of the recently discovered ancient literature. Scripture gets pushed out of the picture when it comes time for the truth about Mary Magdalene to be examined.
It is always easier to believe what is the most convenient for an individual or group about Mary Magdalene. If it is convenient to see her as a prostitute then there are other people who believe that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. If you say it enough time then it becomes a fact to the individual or the group. After all sex sells and it is more exciting for the plot if Mary Magdalene was a prostitute for books and movies than it would be if she was a dedicated woman who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mary Magdalene is a perfect role model for Christian Women who want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ with all honesty and dedication. You do not have to search unbiblical sources to make her something she was not. Keep Mary Magdalene in the Biblical context as being the honest woman who did love the Lord and served Him with dignity, honesty, courage and great dedication.
References:
Benedict XVI , Pope. (2007). The role of women in the history of the Church. His catechesis general audience. Paul VI Hall at Vatican City.
Brown, D. (2004). The Da Vinci Code. New York; Random House.
Fahlbusch, E. & Bromiley, G.W.( 1999-2002). vol. 3, The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill.
Moltmann-Wendell, E. (2002). Review of Rediscovering Friendship. Themelios: Volume 27, No. 2, Spring 2002. United Kingdom: The Gospel Coalition. 90.
Perkins, R.L. (2006). International Kierkegaard Commentary Vol. 10 Without Authority. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press.
Winkett, L. (2002). “Go Tell! Thinking about Mary Magdalene”. The Journal of the Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology. 29
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MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Traditions and Reputation Mary Magdalene:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Dec 2014.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1826,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2014, December) “Traditions and Reputation Mary Magdalene:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1826,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2014) “Traditions and Reputation Mary Magdalene:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (December), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1826, (accessed).
