The music of the Magdalene Mystique invites readers into the spiritual life of a community that celebrates Mary Magdalene as mystic and visionary, beloved companion of Jesus, and first witness to the Resurrection. In Houston, Texas, the Magdalene Community meets weekly to worship in this ancient tradition. Here are the lovely, inspiring sounds of the music they share as they pray together.

The early Christians formed communities to follow the risen Jesus. One such community wrote down its gospel story, but sometime in those early years, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene disappeared. In the late nineteenth century, it surfaced in the Cairo marketplace, and today, contemporary Christians are embracing the message of this Magdalene Gospel. The Magdalene Mystique invites readers into the spiritual life of an actual community that celebrates Mary Magdalene as mystic and visionary, beloved companion of Jesus, and first witness to the resurrection. Following Mary’s gospel, the community seeks to embody an ethos of equality and justice. With historic background based on the scholarship of prominent researchers including Karen King and Jane Schaberg, plus prayers, liturgies, and real-life stories, this is a powerful book for group study and private devotion.

Offers an overview of the Gospel of Mary; and reviews the Church's long history of misunderstanding her. This work offers advice, prayers and liturgy for living Magdalene spirituality.

Restores to the forefront of the Christian tradition the importance of the divine feminine • The first complete English-language translation of the original Coptic Gospel of Mary, with line-by-line commentary • Reveals the eminence of the divine feminine in Christian thought • Offers a new perspective on the life of one of the most controversial figures in the Western spiritual tradition Perhaps no figure in biblical scholarship has been the subject of more controversy and debate than Mary Magdalene. Also known as Miriam of Magdala, Mary Magdalene was considered by the apostle John to be the founder of Christianity because she was the first witness to the Resurrection. In most theological studies she has been depicted as a reformed prostitute, the redeemed sinner who exemplifies Christ's mercy. Today's reader can ponder her role in the gospels of Philip, Thomas, Peter, and Bartholomew--the collection of what have come to be known as the Gnostic gospels rejected by the early Christian church. Mary's own gospel is among these, but until now it has remained unknown to the public at large. Orthodox theologian Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel of Mary from the Coptic and his thorough and profound commentary on this text are presented here for the first time in English. The gospel text and the spiritual exegesis of Leloup together reveal unique teachings that emphasize the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere. What emerges from this important source text and commentary is a renewal of the sacred feminine in the Western spiritual tradition and a new vision for Christian thought and faith throughout the world.

WINNER of PenCraft Award - Best Fiction Book of The YearIn an enthralling saga, Mary Magdalene, the most misunderstood woman in history, returns strong and true as the irresistible voice of the banished feminine divine. Holding an intriguing legacy in her hands, she unveils the scandalous secrets, prophecies, and confidential teachings of Jesus. Using the profound language of the soul to construct in the reader the essence of a divine state, this book could be called pure alchemy from beginning to end. Overflowing with enthralling descriptions detailing the creation, Heaven and Hell, the hidden life of Jesus, the truth about Mother Mary, and the secrets of death, endorsed by obscure ancient texts-this book sets spiritual and historical literature apart.After twenty-five years of research this could be the most authentic portrayal recounting accurate details of what happened next-after the crucifixion.Prophecy spoke of two Messiah's-Jesu was the first.

The author of The Wisdom Jesus takes readers on a journey to discover the real Mary Magdalene—and finds a powerful, ancient model for 21st-century spirituality 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’s 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’s original teachings and apply them to their modern lives.

Acting as a historical detective, the author of this text strips away the layers of deception and propaganda that surround the Christian story in a quest to find the real Mary Magdalene, asking such questions as was she a reformed prostitute who spent the rest of her life in penitence; or was she merely one of the women who followed Jesus?