Religious myths based on facts or lore are more important for what they say about the believers than they are about their basis. For me, goodness for goodness sake is sufficient. You do not practice your life for some prize or punishment. Religions that slip into a cult of death are antithetical to the one true and known gift from God and that is life itself. Nothing defines the differences on the view of life between Judeo-Christianity and Islam more than the story of Mary of Magdalene. Hers is a story of redemption and hope, the value of triumph of life over death. Mary’s defining moment in the Bible comes in John 20:11-16. “Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said: “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary”. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (Teacher).
Mary’s seeking for Christ did not start outside the tomb. Bible says Jesus had ordered the demons that occupied the body of Mary of Magdala to leave, thus releasing her from their horrifying influence. (Luke 8:2) Mary’s new life with the Lord Jesus Christ began from there. What is the reward that God gives her for seeking and loving so much? The Lord gives her forgiveness and the sight of God.
Is anything new being said about this familiar Biblical figure?
A Quite Contrary Mary
Like Jesus, Mary Magdalene is now the subject of a cultural makeover. What agenda do feminist scholars have in mind?
By Kenneth L. Woodward
Not really. Scholars have known for decades, if not longer, that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, and that she had been erroneously conflated in early Christian tradition with the penitent woman in Luke who anoints the feet of the soon-to-be-crucified Jesus and dries them with her hair. It's certainly not news that her greatest claim to fame was the commission she received from Christ to go tell the apostles the news of his resurrection. Those kinds of "redefinitions" were readily available in the entry under her name in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, published in 1967—hardly an arcane resource for any journalist willing to check out claims that something new is being said.
That Jesus was married--possibly to Mary Magdalene--is also a hoary notion going well beyond William E. Phipps' theological potboiler of 1970, "Was Jesus Married?" Phipps' answer--that he probably was, since most Jewish men of the time married--was hardly persuasive.
[...]
When it comes to Biblical figures, it is not enough to say that every generation entertains notions already imagined and discarded by previous generations. In the case of Mary Magdalene, the news is not what is being said about her, but the new context in which she is being placed--and who is doing the placing and why. In other words, Mary Magdalene has become a project for a certain kind of ideologically committed feminist scholarship. That's the real news. For that story, however, attention should first be paid to a more ancient Biblical figure, Miriam the sister of Moses, because the parallels between the two women as "projects" are instructive.
In the 13th century, no less a figure than Peter Abelard preached a sermon in which he saw symmetry between Miriam and Mary Magdalene as proclaimers of good news. (Even then, Mary Magdalene was known as "apostle to the apostles.") Finding symmetries between Old and New Testament figures was an important aspect of medieval Biblical exegesis.
In the current context, some exegetes focus on Exodus 15:20-21, where Miriam is called a "prophet" and leads the Israelite women in dance and song. For those feminists who are looking for any signs of female leadership in the Hebrew Bible (not to mention grounds for doing their own song and dance), this passage has led to the creation of a story of their own. According to that narrative, Miriam was regarded as a prophet, just as her brother Moses was, producing a rivalry among the ancient Israelites between the party of Moses and the party of Miriam.
Superb post, Deuce.
ReplyDeleteAnd... where, oh where, is the N.O.W., clamoring for the "liberation" of Muslim women?
One of the "Jesus Family Tomb" ossuaries found at Talpiot, Jerusalem, bears the Greek inscription "Mariamenou e Mara" (Miriam [greek] the teacher). This leads to the question: Is there anything about the ancient town of Migdal that might encourage us to link this Greek inscription to Mary of Migdal? Prof. James Tabor thinks there is. If archeological excavations prove him right, a new Christian narrative will have to emerge, because though faith may stand in absence of evidence, it cannot stand in opposition to evidence.
ReplyDeleteThe Resurrection of Mary Magdalene by Prof. James Tabor:
http://jesusdynasty.com/blog
nice link met.
ReplyDeleteAccording to some sources, Migdal, home of Mary Magdalene, had a large aqueduct system, a theatre, hippodrome, and a market. Josephus describes it in some detail and made the city his headquarters when he became commander of the Galilean revolt. It was culturally and commercially diverse, opulent. This might lead some to conclude that the city was more “Helenized” than Capernaum or Chorazin, and thus closer to Sepphoris, Tiberius, and Beth Shean as a Roman polis. But as of this time archeological excavations are yet to be done.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deuce.
ReplyDeleteSome very good reading in there.
As an amateur historian I have always been interested in the historic Jesus. My sense of of history hints that since 911 there is a growing interest to reconstruct Christianity with its historic Jewish roots. The life and times of Jesus is more understandable when viewed through practices and customs of his time and place.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost Jesus, his followers, family, culture, history, and life were all Jewish. It is within that Jewish culture that Christianity begins and continues.
This strengthens my faith in the theology, doctrine and philosophy that is the bedrock to Western Civilization.
I hope that my ocasional posts and interests in the subject is a positive affirmation on our different views on faith but our common focus on our shared view of life and civilization.
Deuce,
ReplyDeleteJudaism could never be a universal religion. It is a religion/identity/nationality particular to one people and to one place. In that sense, if universal Jewishness/Christianity did not exist, it would have had to be invented. :)
It takes a lifetime to know that Met, probably much like our solar system, related planets around a common sun.
ReplyDeleteDear Brother 2164th,
ReplyDeleteWhat an gallant and honorable post for Mother's Day!
Thank you for providing historically Biblical proof to fight against the lies feminists and their evil cohorts use to discredit Mary Magdalene and indirectly Jesus.
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ReplyDeleteDeuce,
ReplyDeleteThere's much speculation that Sarai was a priestess, and that is was thru her that Judaism was really born. Judaism thus becomes more closely related to Sarai than to Abram. What is interesting, is that biologically, the paternal linage is not recognized.
I think it is an error to go searching old ruins and stuff about the religions. Though it is interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt is the narrative that counts most. Jesus, whoever he was, the narrative about him, takes the form of the narrative of the hero.
A young person, from the castle, or the hovel, goes, or is taken, out of his social group,(Jesus in the desert) there to have transforming experiences, and comes back to the society, with a life transforming message.
Think Buddha.
Think Black Elk.
It's the same deal.
Making it deep, and true.
Marcus Borg is a good Lutheran theologian to read these days, one of us,about the only Lutheran theologian I could recommend.
ReplyDeleteWhat relationship he has to Martin Luther is hard to say, almost none really, but he speaks for the wing of our church that is barely hanging on, folk like myself.
He teaches at Oregon State University. Nice dude, you wouldn't find much to argue with.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I think the historicity of the narrative is supremely important. If this historicity is missing, then the narrative becomes mythology.
Btw, though I'm a conflicted atheist, I do believe in the historicity of Jesus, as I do the historicity of the hebrew TaNaKh characters. But I also believe that some of the narrative is incomplete, and therefore invites us to further investigate what the whole truth is/was.
The Christians make a great error when they try to hang the hat on historical truth.
ReplyDeleteThere is no getting to the truth of what actually happened.
It is the narrative, and the myth that counts.
That is what mnkes it true, in its way.
Myth can be seen as realty, the deepest thing in us.
I love the biblical stories, they are wonderful.
When the historicity is missing then it becomes mythology.
ReplyDeleteI can go with that, adding, that is when is gets good, when myth becomes reality, regardless of the historical facts.
In that case, I vote we make all of Dostoevsky's writings holy script.
ReplyDeleteI'd vote against you there, Mat, thinking D. is just another writer, though a good one. I don't believe in holy script.
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteThe vote would not matter. When the truth does not matter what you're left with is political tyranny.
Mat, D was a good writer. I wouldn't invite him to my house, or on a camping trip, however.
ReplyDeleteMaybe,
ReplyDeleteBut at least we can say he's a known quantity.
If I were making up a camping trip, I think I would ask Mat, Habu, Deuce and Rat to come along for the protection, then invite all the others along too, for the talk and humor. We might have a good time!
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteHeheh. Thanks for the kind invitation. You should be careful with those. We might take you up on it. :)
Somewhat related to what I was trying to get at: http://www.thepeoplescube.com
h/t: Buddy Larsen