The Magdalene Mystique - The Path Inward

Several of us have been writing about the “leaps to conclusions” we found in the film The Lost Tomb of Jesus aired on the discovery channel last Sunday. Bridgitt gave the most positive review of the film — my review was not as generous. Tommy Ray expressed disappointment in the film since he had hoped to learn something new. (See comments under “Red Flags”)

So what comes next?

I saw this morning that the Gospel of Judas controversy is picking up steam: the New York Times carried a full page advertisement about a new book by Elaine Pagels and Karen King on the Judas Gospel. But I am still pondering the Lost Tomb film. I am not ready to move on.

There is much more to be said about all this. Now that I am reading the book, The Jesus Family Tomb by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino, many things are coming to me to write about. Even if the discovery under the Talpiot apartments in Jerusalem comes to naught, at least the film and the book have become catalysts for thought.

It is clear from the beginning of the book that Simcha/Pelligrino are tapping into what might be called the current “Magdalene mystique.” Almost immediately, the authors introduce Mary Magdalene as “Jesus’s trusted disciple,” the one who “found the empty tomb.” Just as quickly, they describe the Magdalene’s discovery as “a moment that marks the origin of the Christan belief in the Resurrection.” Well, indeed!

What this tells me is that Simcha and Pellegrino are aware of the new Magdalene scholarship — they have read it! — and for this we give applause. (Why it is a problem for men to read this scholarship is a topic all unto itself. ) This is the new scholarship that understands various women in the Bible as “disciples” (not limiting the term to apply only to a specified “twelve”) and focuses on Mary Magdalene as an especially trusted and beloved disciple of Jesus.

For me, “trusted” serves as a nudge toward other descriptions about the Magdalene that can be found in newly discovered ancient Coptic texts, such as

(1) Mary Magdalene as the one that the Savior loved “more than all other women” [Gospel of Mary]

(2) Mary Magdalene as the one the Savior loved “more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often” [Gospel of Philip]

(3) Mary Magdalene as one of the three women “who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and [her] sister and Mary Magdalene, who is called his companion.” [with “companion” having connotations of “partner” or “consort.” [Gospel of Philip]

There are volumes that can be written on these words. For starts, with “trusted” we are invited into a spirituality of “trusting someone,” as Jane Schaberg has pointed out in her excellent article “Magdalene Christianity” (found in a volume entitled On the Cutting Edge: The Study of Women in Biblical Worlds. New York: Continuum, 2004, 211)

This is a kind of spirituality that Martin Buber emphasized; one in which relationships take a priority. This is a spirituality that depends primarily on a “state of contact with the one in whom I trust,” rather than a spirituality that depends upon a set of beliefs or doctrines. And this is a spirituality that at its best is communal and transformational. Transformation takes place within the grace of the relationship. Loyalty and persistence find an important place in this form of spirituality.

And applause goes to the authors again for their first page allusion to the witness of the Magdalene. This is a very important point about who has “seen” the risen Lord and who has spiritual authority to teach and preach. In John 20: 18 Mary Magdalene goes to the disciples and announces, “I have seen the Lord.” And she tells them what he has said to her.

In recent scholarship, Mary Magdalene is understood as a significant figure in early Christianity, one who is named in all four gospels as visiting the empty tomb. In the Gospel of John, it is Mary Magdalene, alone, who finds the tomb empty, first encounters the risen Christ and is given a proclamation.

Of course, it is only in recent times that we have been able to tease out what is really only a trace of her apostolic commission, since for the most part the New Testament writings tend to minimze her story. The last chapter of John, for example, fails to view her witness as one that really counts and Paul leaves her out as one of the many who were recipients of resurrection experiences.

There’s always been a mystique about the Magdalene — a fascination with her relationship to Jesus, her preaching and teaching, and beginning in the fourth century, with her penitence for sexual sins. In the Middle Ages there was an outburst of mysterious atttraction and veneration that in its intensity rivaled any saint.

Today there is a new image of the Magdalene that has emerged from scholarly research and a spiritual energy is being created by ner new image. She is now being understood as a trusted disciple of Jesus, a visionary and prophet, and an honored apostle of love and mystical experience. She is first witness to the resurrection.

If it takes a film of adventure discovery to get this message out, so be it. jane schabergmary magdaleneelaine pagelsjesus family tombgospel of judasmartin bubergospel of phillipsimcha jacobovicigospel of maryepiscopal

Last night I was eager to see the film The Lost Tomb of Jesus. Afterall, it was extraordinary news that the family tomb of Jesus “may” have been discovered underneath apartments in Jerusalem. The film was to give an account of this discovery and to detail the probability statistics regarding the inscriptions “Jesus, son of Joseph,” “Maria,” and “Mariamne, the master,” among others.

Yet there had been enough news coverage prior to the showing, that I was wary. Looking back, I am grateful for the preparation. I was ready to listen carefully. I was better prepared to use my God-given powers of reason, to watch for the illogical leaps to conclusions. Better prepared than when, for example, I watched Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ and remained in my seat, without bolting.

This time I was ready to raise red flags. This time I could peek through the images and music to see the manipulation.

Later, when I watched Ted Koppel’s panel of scholars, I could hear Professor Judy Fentress-Williams of Virgina Theological Seminary, who kept bringing up “critical thinking.” She spoke of the power that dramatizations have upon us, the viewers, even when dramas are depicting merely an hypothesis, and at best a shakey one. As I recall, she named such film dramas “a form of deception.”

It is true that I delighted in those parts of the film that rolled out the new Mary Magdalene as a “master” and teacher in the early days of the Christian movement. Afterall, this new view of Mary Magdalene is what my book The Magdalene Mystique is all about.

But this film is more adventure discovery than documentation. I have the sense that it has “used” bits and pieces of new scholarship. The new research in academic circles about Mary Magdalene and Jesus seeks to overturn the multiple legends and fiction and to focus on what we can “actually say.” Furthermore, it is important in scholarship to await a consensus.

There must be a better way than in filmmaking to report to the public about new findings and insight. Specifically, I am thinking of the new story about Mary Magdalene, her new image as an apostle, visionary, and spiritual leader that has recently been discovered — the new story that has brought our contempoary Magdalene community into greater shalom.

Perhaps developing other small communities in different places would help seed this new story. lost tomb of jesusmariamnejesus son of josephjesus family tomb

Sunday, March 4: Discovery Channel “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” 8:00 pm Central Time, 9:00 pm ET/PT

(see New York Times Saturday article Leaning on Theory, Colliding With Faith)

March 7 - 14: International Conference on Millennium Development Goals in Boksburg, South Africa

I would be happy to find the bones of Jesus.

For then, Jesus, (for me) would seem more connected to the earth. He would be more human — truly human. I would feel a closer connection to Jesus and better able to identify with him. I would be drawn closer to his mission and ministry.

Such a discovery would not change my sense of the divinity of Jesus. That sense would remain as it is.

And it would not mean that I no longer believe in the resurrection of Jesus. For I do.

I of course can’t say exactly how I would feel. But just to have the occasion for expressing these thoughts and asking hard questions may be the gift of this new film. It may, afterall, not be a discovery of consequence. bones of jesuslost tomb of jesus
New York Times Article “Crypt Held Bodies of Jesus and Family, Film Says”