Mary Magdalen: Myth and Metaphor by Susan Haskins (Repost)

The traditional concept of Mary Magdalen has been one of a prostitute who devoted herself to following the ways of Jesus. All that readers know of the real Mary Magdalen comes from four biblical references in the gospels. Using evidence from early Christian writings, medieval sermons, and the art and literature of nearly 2,000 years, Haskins shows how Mary Magdalen came to epitomize the condition of women in the Church and in society.

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly
A fascinating journey through history and its texts (poems, plays, paintings, films) to see the many images of Mary Magdalen. What Haskins emphasizes as she reveals how each era has fashioned Mary Magdalen according to its own specific interests and desires, is that these differing representations consistently negate Mary Magdalen's powerful position in Christ's ministry. From her gospel roles as Christ's chief female disciple and His apostle to the apostles (roles Haskins finds elaborated in Gnostic texts), Mary Magdalen has been transformed into the penitent whore. As such, she has become the embodiment of the sinful frailty and temptations of her sex. Thus, Haskins shows, the Western Church has used its images of Mary Magdalen to justify and perpetuate the subordinate position of women. The importance of Haskins's book is that it turns Mary Magdalen into a symbol for women's right to full participation in Christian ministry. Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC, History Book Club, QPB selections.

From Library Journal
In The Last Temptation of Christ , Nikos Kazantzakis calls Mary Magdalen "sexual temptation personified." According to Haskins, an English author and translator, she is "woman, flesh–the universal, timeless symbol of man's temptation to stray from God." From this psychosexual quagmire Haskins hopes to redeem her. The author chronologically delivers an erudite, comprehensive look at the myriad myths and metaphors surrounding Mary Magdalen, starting with the Gospel record itself, then tracing Western written history up to and including the Church of England's momentous decision to ordain women in 1992. Haskins obviously enjoys her subject. The tangled web of male sexual paranoia, ecclesiastical machinations, and cultural mores are eloquently presented in this rich biographical tapestry of the much-maligned "first apostle." Extensively noted and well documented, this is highly recommended for religion, seminary, and women's studies collections.