Mary Magdalene: Separating the Woman from the Legend

By Robert Keating

Mary Magdalene is one of the most recognizable women in Christian history, yet the person described in the earliest Christian sources is often obscured by centuries of tradition, interpretation, and legend.

Mary Magdalene: Separating the Woman from the Legend examines what can actually be known about Mary Magdalene from the New Testament and the earliest Christian sources, while tracing how her image changed over the centuries.

The book explores Mary Magdalene's role among the followers of Jesus, her presence at the Crucifixion, and her importance in the accounts of the Resurrection. It also examines the later traditions that identified her with other women mentioned in the Gospels, including the unnamed sinful woman and Mary of Bethany.

Readers will discover how medieval Christianity transformed Mary Magdalene's image, how traditions about her life after the Resurrection developed, and how later writers, artists, preachers, and popular culture contributed to the legendary figure known today.

The book also considers alternative portrayals found in early Christian literature, including the Gospel of Mary, and examines what these texts can-and cannot-tell us about the historical Mary Magdalene.

Rather than replacing one legend with another, this book carefully distinguishes between biblical evidence, early Christian tradition, medieval interpretation, and modern speculation.

For readers interested in biblical history, early Christianity, women in the New Testament, and the development of Christian tradition, Mary Magdalene offers a fascinating journey toward understanding the woman behind one of Christianity's most enduring legends.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HH6XSHDY
• ISBN13: 9798170749010
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"