Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was just one of several Marys named in the Bible, but for reasons far from complimentary, her name, to this day, is interlocked with tons of intrigue. She is perhaps the most popular of the clique of Biblical bad girls, and she has even been dramatically cast as the wife of Jesus!

From starring roles in The Last Temptation of Christ, the 1955 novel, and the later Martin Scorsese-directed film; Dan Brown’s 2003 best-selling thriller, which also made it to the big screen, The Da Vinci Code to the eponymous 2018-19 Weinstein Company film, Mary continues to insert herself into our conversations. But was Mary of Madgala truly the big sinner, the temptress, the original repentant whore?

Bible scholars say medieval Western Christian tradition identified Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene as the same person. In a sixth-century sermon, Pope Gregory the Great stated: “She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary [of Bethany], we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark.” This version of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute has been cherished for centuries after Pope Gregory made it official in his sermon. In 1969, the Catholic Church admitted that it had mistakenly identified Mary Magdalene as a sex worker, but the damage was already done.

According to the gospels, Jesus cleansed Mary Magdalene of seven demons (Luke 8:1-3), and she does a complete turnaround and follows Jesus for the rest of His ministry. Mary witnessed both the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus and is identified in the Bible as the first person to see the risen Christ. The Bible does not suggest anywhere that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife, and none of the four gospels even hint at that sort of relationship.

Interestingly, the recent biblical drama, Mary Magdalene, which was repeatedly pushed back due to the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal, and which stars Rooney Mara (Mary), Joaquin Phoenix (Jesus), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peter), totally rejects the prostitute myth. The film’s official synopsis says it “tells the moving story of one of the most misunderstood women in history, alternately vilified as a sinner and canonised as a saint. In the First Century AD, the free-spirited Mary (Mara) flees the marriage her family has arranged for her, finding a sense of purpose in a radical new movement led by the charismatic, defiant preacher Jesus of Nazareth (Phoenix). The sole woman among his band of disciples, Mary defies the prejudices of her patriarchal society. She undergoes a profound spiritual awakening, drawing her into conflict with Jesus’s apostles Peter (Ejiofor) and Judas (Tahar Rahim) and finds herself at the centre of an earth-shaking historical moment.”

Conflicted approach to women

Mary Magdalene probably best represents the conflicted approaches to women through the ages, the Very Rev Fr Sean C. Major-Campbell, Dean of Kingston and Rector of Christ Church, states. He queries, “Has misogyny been informed by this prevailing cognitive dissonance in religion with regard to women and sexuality, women and worship, women and religious leadership?”

He adds: “Might a more courageous approach to Mary Magdalene have seen women serving earlier in the offices of priest and pastor? Imagine, this woman was clearly identified in the gospels as the one who was most loyal to Jesus unto his death and burial. Mary Magdalene was there at the crucifixion even when the revered men of the inner circle abandoned Jesus. She was the first witness to the resurrection even as she went out from the tomb to proclaim her crucified yet risen Lord.”

Fr Sean asks a few rhetorical questions. How then did the Church, through these many centuries, find women to be disqualified from ecclesiastical leadership? Why, to this day, are there many who have continued the oppressive approach to women?

“In fact, some of the most oppressive forces against women in the Church are women. This is because self stigma is real,” he states.

Fr Sean, in elevating Mary Magdalene’s status to that of “a true goodaz”, asks, Is it any wonder that some ancient writers sought to make amends by citing her as apostolorum apostola (apostle of the apostles)? Interestingly, the Bahá’í faith has been clear about its affirmation of Mary Magdalene since she is considered only in the light of her positive relationship with Christ. She gave worth to Christ. Worship is about giving worth.

He urges: “Have a read again of Mary Magdalene in the gospels. Meet the feminist who refused to maintain the status quo and stood alone in the face of patriarchal cowardice. She stood without any apostolic support by the tomb and in her announcement of the resurrection. She continues to have different ideas in the Church today; different ideas about how Jesus is to be honoured. She wants to place the candles and floral decor even where the pastor is moved to offer rebuke. She wants a hymn that does not fit with established liturgical norms. She even refuses to cover her head and dares to step into worship with hair blowing in the Christmas breeze.”

In concluding, the Dean of Kingston makes a relatable comparison. “Like Miss World Toni-Ann Singh and Miss Nigeria Nyekachi Douglas, she was prolific in gratitude and celebration. She was effervescent in sharing the good news she carried. Yes, she even found the greatest love of all residing inside of her. May our women continue to be resilient in the face of false accusations and bigotry. Step boldly past the relics of patriarchy and take hold of the outstretched arms and welcome of Jesus Christ our Lord.”