The Magdalene Mystique - The Path Inward

Today our Magdalene Community study-group begins a study of the new book The Secrets of Mary Magdalene: The Untold Story of History’s Most Misunderstood Woman, edited by Dan Burstein, Arne J. DeKeijzen, Deidre Good, and Jennifer Doll, with an Introduction by Elaine Pagels. We will meet at Christ Church Cathedral at noon if you would like to join us on the first and third Friday of every month. Next Monday, The Monday Group at Christ Church Cathedral at noon will begin its study of The Magdalene Mystique. All are welcome.

With these two study groups going on, it seems like a good time for me to write about these two books. Perhaps you will want to purchase one or both of these books and read along with us. Some of my future posts will be an experiment in extending those thoughts that arise in our study groups out into the world. My hope is that you, too, will become engaged in this material.

I began my morning with the chapter by Dan Burstein in Secrets of Mary Magdalene. His chapter is entitled “Our Fascination with Mary Magdalene: Confessions of a DaVinci Code Fan.” Right away I resonated with the chapter title on “our fascination,” though I usually use the word “mystique.” By mystique, I mean our culture’s fascination but, deeper still, our veneration, that is calling us to notice her and model our lives after her - a spiritual spark that is telling us as much about ourselves, our past and future, as it does about Mary Magdalene.

Burstein’s chapter is fun to read and I recommend it. It gives an honest appraisal of The Da Vinci Code, finding its ideas about the Holy Grail and bloodline and deliberate conspiracy more “fanciful” than fact. Burstein’s interest is in the complex and deeper questions that The Da Vinci Code brings up, such as who was Mary Magdalene historically and what was her role in the life of Jesus and in early Christian history.

Burstein is interested in the newly discovered documents in which Mary Magdalene is shown to be a spiritual guide and leader. With an Introduction to the book by Elaine Pagels, we know that the editors will be discussing those manuscripts where Mary Magdalene is listed among the disciples and in some cases is a major voice.

In a closing section Burstein speaks of the relevance for today of the spirituality associated with Mary Magdalene in the extraBiblical documents. This spirituality, he says, emphasizes “the proceses of self-discovery and self-actualization as lying at the heart of morality and religion.” This spirituality contains “more Zen-like, more profound, more spiritual widsom” than we find in traditional Christian theology.

I am eager to recieve your thoughts about what you have found spiritually meaningful in the re-discovery of Mary Magdalene and will continue to report back to you as our study progresses on The Secrets and The Magdalene Mystique. Have a blessed weekend. elaine pagelsmary magdaleneda vinci codesecrets of mary magdalene Dan Burstein