Was Mary Magdalene Jesus' Wife?

Episode Outline:
0:00 Who was Mary Magdalene, really?
0:32 Bart and Megan catch up on busy weeks, Canada, and conferences
3:18 Why Mary Magdalene became so important in popular imagination
4:43 What the New Testament actually says about Mary Magdalene
6:30 What we can infer about her background, status, and connection to Jesus
10:56 Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of Mary and other apocryphal texts
16:06 The Gospel of Philip, kissing language, and why it does not prove romance
20:22 How Mary Magdalene became identified as a prostitute
24:00 Was Jesus expected to be married, and does that mean Mary was his wife?
29:42 Why later storytellers became so fascinated with Mary Magdalene
33:44 Bart’s upcoming lecture: the history of the rapture
37:50 Bart’s Weekly Update: reading Epictetus and working on ancient ethics
39:33 Bart’s Soapbox: self-censorship, faculty courage, and speaking up
43:34 Final summary: Mary Magdalene’s real significance in early Christianity

Episode Description

Most people think that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Others say she was Jesus' closest disciple (and the Gospels have covered it up). Yet others go even further to suggest they had an intimate relationship -- or even were married! Is any of that possible? If possible, is it true? In this episode we look at what we can actually know about Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus.

Also watch these episodes:
The Real Mary: History vs Christmas Legend
The Real Mary: History vs Christmas Legend

Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief

Must Women Keep Silent? What Were Jesus' and Paul's Actual Views of Women in the Church?
Must Women Keep Silent? What Were Jesus' and Paul's Actual Views of Women in the Church?

In this episode, Megan and Bart discuss:

-Why it’s important to talk about Mary Magdalene

-Where does Mary Magdalene appear in the gospels, and what role does she play?

-What we know about her prior to her decision to follow Jesus

-Mary appears in the apocryphal gospels of Mary and Philip - how do these sources add to our understanding of the historical Mary?

-The Gospel of Philip describes an encounter where the disciples ask Jesus why he loves Mary more than them - is it reasonable to see this as a reference to romantic attachment?

-Mary is not named in any of the canonical gospels as being either a prostitute, or the wife of Jesus. Are these ideas from apocryphal sources, or somewhere else?

-One of the arguments that has been cited for Jesus’ and Mary’s marriage is that it was practically unheard of for people to not marry during this time. Is that accurate?

-If we know so little about Mary Magdalene, and she features so minorly in the gospels, why has she’s been latched onto by various storytellers through the centuries?