1) In The Gospel of Mary, Jesus delivers the message that "there is no sin" , that it is we who make sin exist when we act in ways that are contrary to our true nature. How does this teaching, which is so different from most traditional teachings of Christianity land for you?
2) Mary describes a vision in which she must confront the inner voices of wrath and judgment. What inner voices do you wrestle with that limit you, hinder your spiritual progress or fill you with fear/despair?
3) Reflecting on Mary's ascension and the vision of the tree in Chapter 42 of the Gospel of the Beloved Companion, can you draw your own Tree of Life, with the different "demons" or gateways you must pass through in order to find a place of tranquility and peace?
4) Magdalene's Gospel urges us to "reunite with the root" and return to images of our "true nature". In the Gospel of John, images of "the garden" proliferate and in French tradition Mary is intimately connected to sea, river, rock and forest. In your own life and knowing, how do you see Mary Magdalene and the Earth connected? How is your own connection to the Divine supported or guided by nature?
Resources
To listen to my podcast interview on The Gospel of Mary on Breaking Down Patriarchy, click here.
In our class, we used a version of David Curtis's most recent translation of the text. Click here for his website which includes information on upcoming programs using a Quaker-style format for studying this fascinating text.
Below you will find Catherine Braslavsky's musical setting of a passage of The Gospel of Mary: The Message of Miryam. Accompanying her is Catherine's late husband, Joseph Rowe, who was also the English translator for all of Jean Yves Leloup's books.
Exciting possibility! British scholar Dr. Sarah Parkhouse believes that a missing fragment of the Gospel of Mary may have been found. Click the video below to watch her interview.