The Mary We Forgot [a review]
A whole book about Mary Magdalene? Is there really all that much to be said about her?
Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt's answer with her latest, The Mary we Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today is a resounding "yes!" She begins by looking at who Mary is thought to be and how she is seen in culture today—often as little more than a former prostitute who got saved. Because there are so many Marys in Scripture, she also tends to get blurred and blended together with other Marys until she's kind of just a rather two dimensional devoted woman follower of Jesus in the background of various Gospel scenes.
McNutt's contention with this book is that this portrait not only does a disservice to Mary Magdalene, but it also does a disservice to us as readers and receivers of her story. As the subtitle suggests, her position and her witness is actually really significant—a significance we miss when we sideline her and flatten her into "just a former prostitute."
The overall aim of the book is to resuscitate her, to revive her within the scope of our theology and church practice such that she holds again the position of honor as "the Apostle to the Apostles." McNutt does this by first examining what the various biblical texts say about her and then moving into how the church's interpreters handled those passages. She looks into the messy history of how Mary got conflated with other women in the Gospels, and she even recounts a story of her trip to the south of France where apparently Mary Magdalene is held in high esteem. She rounds out the book by reflecting theologically on this resuscitated portrait and what it implies. Calling her "The Apostle to the Apostles" will certainly raise hackles for some, and the final section of the book offers the justification for such a title.
The book sometimes felt a bit meandering to me—it was interesting to hear about her veneration in southern France but not particularly integral to the book's argument—but overall I'm glad I read it!
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of a fair, unbiased review.