Mary of Magdala
Anabella Morabito
04/12/2015
Good News for Wo/men?
This is the last reflection paper we will be writing for this course, and its focus is on Mary of Magdala. A focus which I find to be apt, in many ways Mary of Magdala represents what we have been exploring throughout the semester. How is the Gospel “good news” for wo/men? Honestly, if we only scratch the surface, it is not. Wo/men are unnamed, unrepresented, set aside, and disregarded in the vast majority of this collection of books which is at the center of our religious tradition. Mary Magdala is a quintessential example of how what we do with the memory of wo/men in the Bible. How we remember them and their witness in the life of Jesus Christ. However, when we truly begin to unveil the masks which we impose on the Gospel, we begin to see the richness which can be hidden within it. When we begin to question, to remember, and reconstruct, and reimagine, we can begin to see the true worth of this tradition. And Mary of Magdala stands before us, not as a prostitute, but as a true paradigm of authentic discipleship. In the The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, Karen King exposes this Gospel which was found in the late nineteenth century in Egypt. In this Gospel the discipleship of Mary of Magdala is truly exposed, the ways in which she was so proximate to Jesus and truly understood Jesus’ message and ministry. The first time I read this in undergrad I was thrilled, because there was a finally a class which exposed me to different visions, past what we find in the three synoptic Gospels. However, it was also so disheartening to know that I had the privilege of learning about this and yet so many people in my Church and around me did not know this. It was infuriating to know and admire Mary of Magdala for what she truly was, a disciple, and know that to so many in my midst she was simple a prostitute. I think in this way Mary of Magdala is such an accurate example of what is done with wo/men in the Bible. Authorities
04/12/2015
Good News for Wo/men?
This is the last reflection paper we will be writing for this course, and its focus is on Mary of Magdala. A focus which I find to be apt, in many ways Mary of Magdala represents what we have been exploring throughout the semester. How is the Gospel “good news” for wo/men? Honestly, if we only scratch the surface, it is not. Wo/men are unnamed, unrepresented, set aside, and disregarded in the vast majority of this collection of books which is at the center of our religious tradition. Mary Magdala is a quintessential example of how what we do with the memory of wo/men in the Bible. How we remember them and their witness in the life of Jesus Christ. However, when we truly begin to unveil the masks which we impose on the Gospel, we begin to see the richness which can be hidden within it. When we begin to question, to remember, and reconstruct, and reimagine, we can begin to see the true worth of this tradition. And Mary of Magdala stands before us, not as a prostitute, but as a true paradigm of authentic discipleship. In the The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, Karen King exposes this Gospel which was found in the late nineteenth century in Egypt. In this Gospel the discipleship of Mary of Magdala is truly exposed, the ways in which she was so proximate to Jesus and truly understood Jesus’ message and ministry. The first time I read this in undergrad I was thrilled, because there was a finally a class which exposed me to different visions, past what we find in the three synoptic Gospels. However, it was also so disheartening to know that I had the privilege of learning about this and yet so many people in my Church and around me did not know this. It was infuriating to know and admire Mary of Magdala for what she truly was, a disciple, and know that to so many in my midst she was simple a prostitute. I think in this way Mary of Magdala is such an accurate example of what is done with wo/men in the Bible. Authorities