The role of Mary Magdalene in the life of Jesus

Newsweek for December 8, 2005 includes "The Bible's Lost Stories: Fueling faith and igniting debate, a new generation of scholars is altering our beliefs about the role of women in the scriptures." The article looks at the role of Mary Magdalene and other women in Biblical scriptures.

The theory that Mary and Jesus were married has been circulating for centuries.

"Some historians think it is possible because Jewish men of that era were almost always married, but many others dismiss that reasoning. Some argue that Jesus wasn’t conventional in any other sense, so why would he feel the need to be married? Others say that relegating her to the role of wife is belittling. “Let’s not continue the relentless denigration of Mary Magdalene by reducing her only importance to a sexual connection with Jesus,” says John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago. “She’s not important because she was Mrs. Jesus. That’s like saying Hillary Rodham Clinton is only important because she’s married to Bill Clinton. Both women are important in their own right."

Thomas Moore's Kripalu weekend session in March 2006 will include exploring Mary's role in the Christ narratives.