Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet
by Meggan Watterson
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—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 show more 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. show less
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I am not sure why that red book cover jumped out at me, but I dropped the book into my shopping cart without a second thought and made my purchase.
As the calendar turned to December, I thought it would be the perfect time to read something about Christianity, and Meggan Watterson’s book found its way to my nightstand. And for seven nights, I was enthralled.
Mary Magdalene Revealed is part history, part memoir, part self-help. Watterson expertly explains the history of Mary Magdalene, and describes her personal pilgrimage to southern France and England. Additionally, she shows the reader how the teachings of Mary Magdalene helped the author live her best life.
If you’ve ever felt like there’s a big hole in the story of Jesus Christ show more – and indeed Christianity (like I did) – you will want to add Mary Magdalene Revealed to your bookshelf right away. Watterson demystifies Mary Magdalene’s life and relationship with Jesus, and teaches us how to incorporate The Gospel of Mary into our lives.
My big takeaways:
#1: Question and be curious
For almost two centuries, the Church has told a patriarchal (and untrue) story of Jesus Christ, despite evidence that his life – and the people in his life – were different than the Church’s rendition.
I am thankful for scholars like Meggan Watterson who asked questions (such as where are the women?) and researched to find the answers.
Let’s face it: Men in power have altered the retelling of history and religion to meet their needs. That’s what happened with the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. We know better now.
#2: The Ego is part of us
Admittedly, when I speak about the Ego, I don’t have nice things to say. In fact, I refer to the Ego in the masculine (Mr. Ego) and encourage people to tell their Ego to buzz off.
Now that I’ve read Mary Magdalene Revealed, I have a kinder, more accurate interpretation of the Ego. The Ego is our human-ness. It reminds us of our pain, fear, and anger so that we can move in spite of them.
We can’t ignore our Ego. Instead, we can use the Ego’s messages as signals. Tuning in, instead of tuning out, actually makes you more Divine. I love that!
#3: Women are meant to be spiritual leaders
Mary Magdalene was Christ’s first Apostle. What Jesus taught Mary Magdalene appears in The Gospel of Mary, but we will never know Christ’s teachings because portions of Mary’s gospel have been destroyed. What’s for sure is that Jesus intended for Mary to be part of the process – not excluded and tossed aside.
(Let’s not forget other spiritual leaders of Christianity, including Mary of Nazareth and Joan of Arc.)
Female spiritual leaders also appear in other religions from Isis in Ancient Egyptian mythology to Tibetan Green Tara, a female buddha (see page 54 of this book to learn more).
Despite what religious lore may suggest, women are meant to be spiritual leaders. Mary Magdalene is proof of female spiritual leadership, and this comforts me right to my soul.
How Mary Magdalene Revealed relates to entrepreneurs:
This book won’t appeal to many entrepreneurs, but if you decide to read it, here is the big entrepreneurial lesson that’s in store for you.
Detach from the outcome.
Throughout this book, you’ll see examples and anecdotes about what happens when you stop worrying about the result and leave it to The Universe.
For example, when Watterson was worrying about flying across the Atlantic, she left it to The Universe (my interpretation) and was led to take the Queen Mary instead (resulting in so many enlightening moments for the author).
The Universe has your back, always. Let go and know you are in the hands of Divine Love. I love that, too. show less
As the calendar turned to December, I thought it would be the perfect time to read something about Christianity, and Meggan Watterson’s book found its way to my nightstand. And for seven nights, I was enthralled.
Mary Magdalene Revealed is part history, part memoir, part self-help. Watterson expertly explains the history of Mary Magdalene, and describes her personal pilgrimage to southern France and England. Additionally, she shows the reader how the teachings of Mary Magdalene helped the author live her best life.
If you’ve ever felt like there’s a big hole in the story of Jesus Christ show more – and indeed Christianity (like I did) – you will want to add Mary Magdalene Revealed to your bookshelf right away. Watterson demystifies Mary Magdalene’s life and relationship with Jesus, and teaches us how to incorporate The Gospel of Mary into our lives.
My big takeaways:
#1: Question and be curious
For almost two centuries, the Church has told a patriarchal (and untrue) story of Jesus Christ, despite evidence that his life – and the people in his life – were different than the Church’s rendition.
I am thankful for scholars like Meggan Watterson who asked questions (such as where are the women?) and researched to find the answers.
Let’s face it: Men in power have altered the retelling of history and religion to meet their needs. That’s what happened with the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. We know better now.
#2: The Ego is part of us
Admittedly, when I speak about the Ego, I don’t have nice things to say. In fact, I refer to the Ego in the masculine (Mr. Ego) and encourage people to tell their Ego to buzz off.
Now that I’ve read Mary Magdalene Revealed, I have a kinder, more accurate interpretation of the Ego. The Ego is our human-ness. It reminds us of our pain, fear, and anger so that we can move in spite of them.
We can’t ignore our Ego. Instead, we can use the Ego’s messages as signals. Tuning in, instead of tuning out, actually makes you more Divine. I love that!
#3: Women are meant to be spiritual leaders
Mary Magdalene was Christ’s first Apostle. What Jesus taught Mary Magdalene appears in The Gospel of Mary, but we will never know Christ’s teachings because portions of Mary’s gospel have been destroyed. What’s for sure is that Jesus intended for Mary to be part of the process – not excluded and tossed aside.
(Let’s not forget other spiritual leaders of Christianity, including Mary of Nazareth and Joan of Arc.)
Female spiritual leaders also appear in other religions from Isis in Ancient Egyptian mythology to Tibetan Green Tara, a female buddha (see page 54 of this book to learn more).
Despite what religious lore may suggest, women are meant to be spiritual leaders. Mary Magdalene is proof of female spiritual leadership, and this comforts me right to my soul.
How Mary Magdalene Revealed relates to entrepreneurs:
This book won’t appeal to many entrepreneurs, but if you decide to read it, here is the big entrepreneurial lesson that’s in store for you.
Detach from the outcome.
Throughout this book, you’ll see examples and anecdotes about what happens when you stop worrying about the result and leave it to The Universe.
For example, when Watterson was worrying about flying across the Atlantic, she left it to The Universe (my interpretation) and was led to take the Queen Mary instead (resulting in so many enlightening moments for the author).
The Universe has your back, always. Let go and know you are in the hands of Divine Love. I love that, too. show less
Mary Magdalene is shown from the view of a feminist theologian. Mary for hundreds of years was hidden from Christians because the Church ruled her Gospel of Christ to be not canonical. Not until her texts were found in a cave did they become know again. These text show her as a leader and teacher of Jesus's words. Jesus spoke to her and she wrote down his teachings. It is fascinating to see how Peter reacts to not being "in" with Jesus. It was key that Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus after his burial. I wish Mary's full text would have been provided as reference.
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Meggan Watterson is the author of Reveal, The Sutras of Unspeakable Joy, and The Divine Feminine Oracle and the co-author of How to Love Yourself (and Sometimes Other People). She is a feminist theologian with a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia show more University. Meggan facilitates the REDLADIES-a community of radical love that lets her preach about female saints, mystics, gurus, and poets who inspire and teach us to live in service of love. She leads retreats and workshops on the divine feminine. Mary Magdalene, and the soul-voice meditation. Her work has appeared in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Marie Claire. She lives with her old-soul son and his exuberant goldfish, Bob. Website: megganwatterson.com. show less
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