One question I’ve heard a great number of times over the years is one that I have great difficulty answering. It’s troubling because I feel like I should have an answer easily at hand, maybe an “elevator speech” of sorts, but I don’t.

What does Mary Magdalene mean to me?

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I’ve had difficulty keeping up with all of the Mary Magdalene appearances in the media lately since everyone seems to mention her name in association with The Da Vinci Code. Weeding through the casual references to find articles of relevance took a little while. Here, without commentary, is a list of the most on-topic news postings I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks. They are all either about Mary Magdalene directly, or germane to the topics I write about here in The Magdalene Review.

Newsweek
The Faces of Mary Magdalene
May 29, 2006 issue

Houston Chronicle
Gnostic Gospels one key to Da Vinci Code origins
May 22, 2006
By Richard Vara and Tara Dooley

Online Journal
“The Da Vinci Code,” the film, gives the ultimate question (praise Goddess!) a radical answer
May 22, 2006
By Harvey Wasserman
(Also appeared in the Columbia Free Press on May 20, 2006.)

SFGate.com
Finding My Religion: Tau Malachi
May 22, 2006
by David Ian Miller

Toronto Star
Da Vinci Code unsettles church
May 21, 2006
by Joanna Manning

Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Brown drew inspiration from local author’s books for ‘Da Vinci Code’
May 18, 2006
By Cecelia Goodnow

Ottawa Citizen
Women might be key to Da Vinci film success
May 18, 2006
By Theresa Tayler, The Calgary Herald

MyrtleBeachOnline.com
‘Code’ stirs quest for knowledge
May 18, 2006
BY Tom Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The New York Sun
Looking Behind the ‘Code’ (excerpt)
May 17, 2006
By Bruce Chilton

uuworld.org
The Magdalene code
May 15, 2006
By Elizabeth A. Lerner

Hartford Courant
The Curious Case Of Mary Magdalene
May 14, 2006
By Harold W. Attridge

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
‘The Code’: Mary Magdalene — Apostle to the apostles
May 14, 2006
By Ann Rodgers

Contra Costa Times
Career-path renaissance
May 14, 2006
By Randy Myers

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Author Jane Lahr
May 14, 2006
By Jane Henderson

This is a short but good article that I found at Cleveland.com:

Mary Magdalene in fact and fiction
by David Briggs (The Plain Dealer columnist)

The thrust of this article is that one sexual fiction about Mary Magdalene-that she was a prostitute-has been popularly replaced by a different sexual fiction; namely, that she was Jesus’ wife and the mother of his children. This isn’t the first I’ve come across this point. Voiced mostly by feminists concerned that no woman, Mary Magdalene included, should be remembered primarily for her sexuality (positive or negative), the issue is even more volitile given that both seem to be imagined reputations anyway. Why not focus on things that we’re told Mary Magdalene actually did, rather than what she may or may not have done with her female plumbing?

But to manufacture a new sexual myth around Mary Magdalene and reduce her role to supportive spouse is hardly what people celebrating strong, independent women leaders in early Christianity consider helpful.

“It ultimately undercuts women’s leadership because it focuses on the fiction of Mary of Magdala’s marital status rather than the fact of her leadership as the primary witness to Jesus’ Resurrection,” according to Sister Christine Schenk, executive director of Cleveland-based FutureChurch, an independent Catholic group.

I don’t disagree. Although there is definitely some “looking the other way” going on in regards to what mythology today’s women find valuable about Mary Magdalene, I think it is extremely important to look at Mary Magdalene’s most likely historical identity. Far and away, this is the role she filled as apostle of the apostles. Within Christianity, this is definitely the most important aspect of Mary Magdalene’s story.

“Rather than speculate falsely that Mary of Magdala was married to Jesus,” Schenk said, “it would be better to imitate her generosity and courage in accompanying a condemned political prisoner through a torturous death; and her faith in proclaiming God’s resurrection.”

Not surprisingly, the only expert quoted in the article is Sister Christine Schenk, who has been working with FutureChurch for many years to get as many Mary Magdalene feast day celebrations started as possible. This organization lobbies for female ordination as well as a married priesthood, and Mary Magdalene is their “poster girl.” Although I’m supportive of the FutureChurch cause, it’s good to keep their goals in mind when considering their position on Mary Magdalene’s identity.