Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History

by Philip C. Almond

Overview

Mary Magdalene is a key figure in the history of Christianity. After Mary, the mother of Jesus, she remains the most important female saint in her guise both as primary witness to the resurrection and 'apostle of the apostles'. This volume, the first major work on the Magdalene in more than thirty years, focuses on her 'lives' as these have been imagined and reimagined within Christian tradition. Philip Almond expertly disentangles the numerous narratives that have shaped the story of Mary over the past two millennia. Exploring the 'idea' of the Magdalene – her cult, her relics, her legacy – the author deftly peels back complex layers of history and myth to reveal many different Maries, including penitent prostitute; demoniac; miracle worker; wife and lover of Jesus; symbol of the erotic; and New Age goddess. By challenging uniform or homogenised readings of the Magdalene, this absorbing new book brings fascinating insights to its subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009221696
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2022
Pages:	386
Sales rank:	759,686
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.78(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Philip C. Almond is Professor Emeritus in the History of Religious Thought at The University of Queensland and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. His recent books include The Antichrist: A New Biography (2020), God: A New Biography (2018), and Afterlife: A History of Life after Death (2016).

Table of Contents

1. Who was Mary Magdalene?; 2. The 'lives' of Mary Magdalene; 3. The 'afterlives' of Mary Magdalene; 4. Mary divided: sacred and profane; 5. Many Magdalenes – redeemed and redeeming; 6. Mary Magdalene – lover and wife; Epilogue: on myth and history.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/24/2022

In this edifying chronicle, Almond (The Antichrist), a professor emeritus of the history of religious thought at the University of Queensland, Australia, studies Mary Magdalene’s historical iterations in Christian canon and culture. Almond traces the “history of how and why Christianity, with the minimal historical data at its disposal, created its ideal Christian saint,” characterized by a paradoxical meeting of sinfulness and holiness. He remarks, “we know virtually nothing of her,” describing her as a cipher who has been depicted as a wealthy follower of Jesus, a penitent sinner, a jilted wife, Jesus’s lover, a preacher, a mystic, and a miracle worker. Different eras have shaped Mary Magdalene’s story to meet their needs, Almond contends, describing how medieval relics laid claim to her supposed physical remains as “mobile sites of supernatural power” and how Pope Gregory the Great’s conflation of Mary Magdalene with the “fallen woman” from Luke led to the 18th-century establishment of “Magdalen houses” that provided asylum for “repentant prostitutes.” Almond’s research is meticulously detailed, yet entertainingly delivered (he quips that a medieval sermon “began with an account of the early life of Mary that was not present within the Gospels or for that matter, until this sermon, anywhere else”). Learned and incisive, this is a top-notch work of Christian cultural analysis. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

‘Almond’s research is meticulously detailed, yet entertainingly delivered … Learned and incisive, this is a top-notch work of Christian cultural analysis.' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

‘Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History establishes a narrative thread through centuries of cultural reception of the biblical figure, and covers an impressive range of material … Almont provides the most accessible summary to date of the scholarly story so far …’ Siobhán Jolley, The Art Newspaper

'… an enthralling examination of a pivotal figure in Christian tradition and a thought-provoking study of the countless stories and interpretations she inspired.' Kristen Rabe, Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher