The Crucifixion of Mary Magdalene: The Historical Tradition of the First Apostle and the Ancient Church's Campaign to Suppress It

By Richard J. Hooper

Book Overview

From the earliest days of Christianity, Mary Magdalene has been the subject of controversy, rumour and innuendo. This volume says, the historical Mary was neither a prostitute nor the wife of Jesus.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974699543
• ISBN13: 9780974699547
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Sanctuary Publications, Iinc.
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful & Informative Resource

I have not been able to put this book down! I have been researching Mary Magdelane for about three years, for the writing of my own books. I am using little known facts about her in a series of five novels that connect the suppression of her story to the oppression of women right up to present time. Hooper presents some new and intriguing theories, as well as facts about the patriarchal bias of Christianity that still affect women within their religions today! Thank you for this enlightening book! Judith G. Hunter, Author Bound On Earth: The Sacred Feminine Unfolding

Timely, insightful, accessible correction to The DaVinci Code

Richard Hooper brilliantly writes a thorough overview of what is known about Mary Magdalene, complete with extensive references to the original documents, a "glossary" of names, terms and sources, and an extensive subject index. With rigorous attention to detail and accuracy, Hooper presents the beauty, vision, and leadership of Mary as apostle, restoring her to her rightful place at Jesus' side, and, in the process, returning to us the divine feminine in Christianity prior to Mary's erasure and corruption by patriarchy. Hooper shows us with great depth and sensitivity Mary's spiritual maturity and wisdom as a teacher in her own right, while providing a sense of the essence of Mary's relationship with Jesus. The style of presentation is quite accessible and a good read. Still, his critical attention to detail and cultural/comparative contexts speaks, as well, to the scholar of Christianty, World Religions, and Women's Studies. For me, as a cultural anthropologist, his thorough attention to relevant contexts is one of the book's strongest points. For example, he addresses some of the commonalities between early Christianty and Hinduism, shared as the basis of all Mystery Religions and traditions of ancient wisdom. While humorous, outspoken, even radical in his interpretation, Richard Hooper's work is theoretically and substantively consistent with that of the most prominent scholars in the field. It is a must-read by the lay person and scholar alike interested in the life of Mary Magdalene. The book was a powerful one for me, personally, as well as academicly, as Hooper returned to me the Jesus of my childhood, who did not discriminate on the basis of class or gender, but preached only love.