Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?

This article explores how the collective memory of the Christian tradition draws on the characterisation of Mary Magdalene in two sets of writings: the canonical Gospels, and the Gnostic Christian writing, Gospel of Mary. It argues that the interpretations of these characterisations are deeply shap...

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Main Author: N.E. Müller van Velden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Free State 2024-06-01
Series:Acta Theologica
Online Access:https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/8243
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author N.E. Müller van Velden
author_facet N.E. Müller van Velden
author_sort N.E. Müller van Velden
collection DOAJ
description This article explores how the collective memory of the Christian tradition draws on the characterisation of Mary Magdalene in two sets of writings: the canonical Gospels, and the Gnostic Christian writing, Gospel of Mary. It argues that the interpretations of these characterisations are deeply shaped by ideologies concerning gender and female sexuality. This rings true for past and present contexts and is not limited to more conservative or traditional views on gender, sexuality, and theology. As such, the article attempts to highlight the role of subjectivity and ideology in the acts of remembering in the Christian tradition based on New Testament and Early Christian writings and argues for critical interpretations of both the characterisations in the writings themselves, and the subsequent “lives” of these characterisations in the Christian tradition.
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spelling doaj-art-c73bc6379ac34c1caa49b8b168de65982025-02-11T09:29:15ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892024-06-0110.38140/at.vi.8243Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?N.E. Müller van Velden0University of the Free State This article explores how the collective memory of the Christian tradition draws on the characterisation of Mary Magdalene in two sets of writings: the canonical Gospels, and the Gnostic Christian writing, Gospel of Mary. It argues that the interpretations of these characterisations are deeply shaped by ideologies concerning gender and female sexuality. This rings true for past and present contexts and is not limited to more conservative or traditional views on gender, sexuality, and theology. As such, the article attempts to highlight the role of subjectivity and ideology in the acts of remembering in the Christian tradition based on New Testament and Early Christian writings and argues for critical interpretations of both the characterisations in the writings themselves, and the subsequent “lives” of these characterisations in the Christian tradition. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/8243
spellingShingle N.E. Müller van Velden
Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
Acta Theologica
title Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
title_full Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
title_fullStr Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
title_full_unstemmed Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
title_short Memory, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene: Whose memory matters?
title_sort memory jesus and mary magdalene whose memory matters
url https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/8243
work_keys_str_mv AT nemullervanvelden memoryjesusandmarymagdalenewhosememorymatters