Mary Magdalene: The First Apostle
Book Review
Reviewed by Carolyn Osiek RSCJ
Charles Fisher Catholic Professor of New Testament
Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth, TX
Mary Magdalene: The First Apostle
By Ann Graham Brock
Cambridge, MASS: Harvard University Press, 2003.
After reviewing the figure and treatment of Mary Magdalene in the canonical Gospels, this study moves on into the developing tradition about her in Christian noncanonical texts, where a rich and varied characterization emerges. In apocryphal gospels and acts, in Gnostic dialogues and revelations, Mary assumes the status of "apostle of the apostles" and recipient of special revelations from the risen Jesus. The later challenges to her apostolic authority resulted in the other (and later) image of her as converted prostitute. The figure of Mary Magdalene forms an interesting test case on the politics of church status and imaging.
Note: This review first appeared in Vital Theology (www.vitaltheology.com), January 1, 2005, and is reprinted by permission.
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