The greatest lie ever told was a narrative crafted with intention over hundreds of years to deal with an inconvenient truth: as the witness to the resurrection, Mary Magdalene could not be erased.
For the church fathers, it would have been convenient to cut Mary out entirely, like they did to so many important figures, texts, and belief systems of the early Jesus movement. Mary’s prominence in the four canonical gospels—and the gnostic texts that put her on par with Peter—put pressure on the emerging church institution to confirm her personage while diminishing her power and authority.
This is the story of what was done, how it happened, and the roots of why it all went down the way that it did, because restoring Mary’s name is about reclaiming power for all of us.
In this episode, we cover:
How Mary Magdalene actually appears in the Bible and the influence of her position as the resurrection story’s key witness
What gnosticism is & how this early version of Christianity—and how Mary was portrayed in it—played a role in the way she was diminished
What exactly Gregory the Great said about Mary Magdalene when he laid out his case for Mary as the “penitent prostitute” in 591 CE
Why the anointing women and their role, particularly the gospel of Luke, are essential to understanding this complicated story
Learn more about The Magdalene Thread here. Subscribe on Substack for the latest episodes & essays.
A selection of sources mentioned in this episode include:
Choosing the Better Part? Women in they Gospel of Luke by Barbara E. Reid
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
A homily of Gregory the Great and Mary Magdalene (Text of Homily 33) by Roger Pearse (2020)
Mary Magdalene: Myth and Metaphor by Susan Haskins
Read our full source list, updated weekly, here.
The Greatest Lie Ever Told