Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile

Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile
Margaret Starbird
Bear & Company
ISBN: 159143054-2
Non-Fiction, Religion
Reviewed by Pamela Crossland

One of the first things Starbird does in this well thought out book is try to unravel which Mary is which in the New Testament. The Magdalene, as she was called by the four Evangelists, was unfairly branded a prostitute by the early Christian church when, in fact, there is no historical or scriptural evidence to support that claim. Indeed, the whole notion was rescinded by the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church in 1969. Even if she was the "sinner" described by Luke to have anointed Christ's feet with perfume, the Greek word refers to some sort of misdeed in the business world such as not paying ones taxes.
Word that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute hasn't really gotten out, at least not among the Baptists of my acquaintance, or the Mormons, or Lutherans either. I polled several women age 40 and up and not one of them was aware that Mary had been cleared of this charge. That is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the importance of the minimalization of Mary Magdalenes importance in the Christian church. Starbird refers to Magdalene as The Woman with the Alabaster Jar for she is often portrayed holding a jar as well as with a skull. Included in this lovely volume of work are twenty four reproductions of works of art by such well known painters as Ruben, El Greco, de la Tour, and more recently, Jonathan Weber. She is nearly always seen to be red haired, often with her blouse sliding from her shoulder, a veiled reminder of her brand of fallen woman.
Whether she was the literal bride of Christ or not, Starbird makes a good case for the spiritually exiled feminine face of the faith. Further, she helps to redefine Jesus' humanity as a man who deeply loved and was loved in return by a woman. A woman who was his beloved and his disciple, even as has been said, a disciple to the other disciples.