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The Meaning of Mary Magdalene

Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity

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The Meaning of Mary Magdalene

By: Cynthia Bourgeault
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
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About this listen

Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christianity - yet, if you look in the Bible, you'll find only a handful of verses that speak of her. How did she become such a compelling saint in the face of such paltry evidence? In her effort to answer that question, Cynthia Bourgeault examines the Bible, church tradition, art, legend, and newly discovered texts to see what's there. She then applies her own reasoning and intuition, informed by the wisdom of the ages-old Christian contemplative tradition. What emerges is a radical view of Mary Magdalene as Jesus' most important disciple, the one he considered to understand his teaching best. That teaching was characterized by a nondualistic approach to the world and by a deep understanding of the value of the feminine. Cynthia shows how an understanding of Mary Magdalene can revitalize contemporary Christianity, how Christians and others can, through her, find their way to Jesus' original teachings and apply them to their modern lives.

©2010 Cynthia Bourgeault (P)2014 Audible Inc. Bible Study Bibles & Bible Study Christian Living Christianity History Biography Tradition
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Cynthia's book The Meaning of Mary Magdalene was read in conjunction with Margaret George's epic Mary Called Magdalene.

And so got a healthy dose of the literally figurative image of both Jesus and his female apostle.

Whether you have a beliefor not this book is a fascinating look into an historical period.

Excellent read, thank you Cynthia :-)

Thought provoking and interesting :-)

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Narrator is excellent. book was mind boggling. Amazing account of history and how easily events and people can be wiped from history.

great book

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I can't write a bad review about Cynthia Bourgeault's work. I'm afraid I've become a groupie. She's a scholar, a master of the English language, and her turns of phrase just never fail to surprise me and blow me away. You could argue all day about her propositions in this book, but the brilliant thing is that she makes you think, and she opens your mind and heart to the spiritual (or as she calls it 'the imaginal') realm. And at the end, she bring you back to earth and reminds you of what's true and important. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to have an open mind, and to delve more deeply into the 'imaginal' realm.

Cynthia does it again

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A very interesting read. Great to have Mary restored to get proper place in Christian history. I did find the narrator's muddled pronunciations of many technical words and names challenging to put up with! There are also typos in the text (wrong scriptural references) that are repeated in the audio even after all this time. But engaging and thought provoking.

Provocative and creative

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I thoroughly enjoyed this description of Mary Magdalene, the speculation of the nature of her relationship with Jesus and the 'project' of their love - of opening the heart and living with love at the centre of all that they did. Cynthia Bourgeault gives a compelling alternative reading of Jesus' mission which I find very appealing and something to aspire to. This breathes life into the events around biblical times and shows me how I can incorporate this wisdom into my own life.

A model for heart centred living and loving

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The narrator powerfully relays the intended transmission from the book and I have used it as a walking meditation, often being stopped in my tracks with a deep moment of realisation.

Beyond expectations and transformative

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