Synopsis
--WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER-- The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. Harvard-trained theologian Meggan Watterson leads us verse by verse through Mary's gospel to illuminate the powerful teachings it contains. A gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. Fortunately, some rebel monks were wise enough to refuse-and thanks to their disobedience and spiritual bravery, we have several manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Mary's gospel reveals a radical love that sits at the heart of the Christian story. Her gospel says that we are not sinful; we are not to feel ashamed or unworthy for being human. In fact, our purpose is to be fully human, to be a "true human being"- that is, a person who has remembered that, yes, we are a messy, limited ego, and we are also a limitless soul. And all we need to do is to turn inward (again and again); to meditate, like Mary Magdalene, in the way her gospel directs us, so that we can see past the ego of our own little lives to what's more real, and lasting, and infinite, and already here, within. With searing clarity, Watterson explains how and why Mary Magdalene came to be portrayed as the penitent prostitute and relates a more historically and theologically accurate depiction of who Mary was within the early Christ movement. And she shares how this discovery of Mary's gospel has allowed her to practice, and to experience, a love that never ends, a love that transforms everything., Wall Street Journal bestseller A critically acclaimed new perspective on one of the most misunderstood figures in the Christian story offers the key to reclaiming the divine feminine and the radical presence of love around and within us. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. Harvard-trained theologian Meggan Watterson leads us verse by verse through Mary's gospel to illuminate the powerful teachings it contains. Her gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, reveals a radical love that sits at the heart of the Christian story. It tells us that we are not sinful; we are not to feel ashamed or unworthy for being human. In fact, our purpose is to be fully human, to be a "true human being"--with both a messy, limited ego and a limitless soul. And all we need to do is to turn inward (again and again); to meditate, like Mary Magdalene, in the way her gospel directs us, so that we can see past the ego of our own little lives to what's more real, and lasting, and infinite, and already here, within. With searing clarity, Watterson explains how and why Mary Magdalene came to be portrayed as the penitent prostitute and relates a more historically and theologically accurate depiction of who Mary was within the early Christ movement. And she shares how this discovery of Mary's gospel has allowed her to practice, and to experience, a love that never ends, a love that transforms everything., A gospel, as old and as authentic as any of the gospels that now make up the Christian bible, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. Fortunately, some rebel monks were wise enough to refuse-and thanks to their disobedience and spiritual spunk, we have several ancient manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman- The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. This gospel tells a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. This gospel says that we are not sinful; we are not to feel ashamed for being human. In fact, each person's purpose is to be fully human, to be a "true human being"-that is, a person who has remembered that she is also divine. This divinity is not something we will ever receive through confession or absolution from relationships or institutions outside of us; rather, this "child of true humanity" exists within us, inside our own heart. And all we need to do is to turn inward; to meditate, like Mary Magdalene, in the way her gospel directs us to see the radical presence of love all around us; and to allow that vision to change everything.
