Synopses & Reviews
Collected together for the first time are the original Gospel of Mary, one of the "Gnostic Gospels," and three other secret texts that reveal the significant role Mary Magdalene played in Jesus' inner circle of disciples. This is a new translation of the Gospel of Mary, as well as Meyer's translations of significant portions of other Gnostic gospels and texts in which Mary Magdalene plays a major part, including the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, Dialogues with the Saviour, and Pistis Sophia. Also included are the passages in the New Testament Gospels that feature Mary Magdalene, and they can now be read in a whole new light. Cumulatively, these texts reveal a vibrant oral tradition in which Mary Magdalene is not only a follower of Jesus but his companion and closest disciple.
The book will include lively historical introduction by Meyer, and an interpretive essay by Karen King at Harvard Divinity School, the foremost expert on the Gospel of Mary, whose translation and commentary on the Gospel of Mary is being published by an academic press in October '03.
Review
“[Sheds] new light on the role and the spiritual importance of Mary Magdalene in the early Christian tradition.” Spirituality and Health magazine
Synopsis
With the recent surge of interest in Mary Magdalene brought forth in "The Da Vinci Code," a renowned scholar delves into Mary's significance for understanding the origins of Christianity.
Synopsis
The Gospels of Mary presents English translations of the earliest and most reliable texts that shed light on Mary Magdalene, collected here for the first time. As Marvin Meyer states in his Introduction, these texts unveil her importance as Jesus' beloved disciple and an apostle and evangelist in her own right, a figure whose importance for Christianity is only now emerging from the shadows of history. Included are selections from the New Testament Gospels and from Gnostic Gospels and other texts, including the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Philip.
Esther de Boer, a widely respected expert on Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Mary, sets Meyer's translations in the context of the latest scholarship. She analyzes the role Mary plays in each of the gospels in which she appears, showing her to be a capable, strong woman who poses a distinct threat to the male-dominated early Church.
Cumulatively, these texts reveal a vibrant oral tradition in which Mary Magdalene is not only a follower of Jesus but his companion and closest disciple.
About the Author
Marvin Meyer, general editor of this collection, is one of the foremost scholars on Gnostic traditions, the Nag Hammadi library, and texts about Jesus outside the New Testament. He is Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies and director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Chapman University in California. Among his recent books are The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus: The Definitive Collection of Mystical Gospels and Secret Books about Jesus of Nazareth; The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus; The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library; The Gnostic Bible; and The Gospel of Judas.