Mary Magdalene: A Biography

Love this book!

Bruce Chilton does an excellent job of creating a believable portrait of Mary Magdalene, a woman whose reputation has been sullied for far too long. Chilton uses his advanced knowledge in biblical studies to draw an image of a close companion of Jesus whose spiritual expertise included exorcism, healing with ointments, and perhaps above all, teaching the other disciples. Most of the conclusions in this book are mainly drawn from what we can read in the Bible. Mr. Chilton rejects any notions of an amorous relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, as well as any possibility of her living her last days in France. Still, it's a worthwhile and very interesting read for anyone interested in learning more about the historical aspects of Mary Magdalene. Highly recommended!

Chilton provides an excellent review of the church's response to the faith of Mary Magdalene. I appreciated his commentary on gnostic thought and, as always, his scholarship is impeccible. This book doesn't read as easily as did his almost-novelesque Rabbi Jesus. Chilton takes much more liberty in drawing conclusions about the Magdalen than the research should allow. Still, the book is well written and provides plenty of food for thought. If your church book club read the DaVinci Code, they should follow it up with Mary Magdalen: A Biography.

Finally a book that sets the record straight! The author leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of the truth behind multiple sources to unearth what can be known about this much maligned woman. This little gem of a book is well written, well researched and easy to read for lay people and scholars alike. A must read for anyone bogged down by centuries of misrepresenting this Mary and the importance of the pivotal role she played in the life of Jesus. Bruce Chilton opens a prism not only on the life of Mary, but on the role that anointing and healing played in Jesus' vision of the kingdom, as a way to share in the life of the spirit here and now.

I couldn't complete the first chapter. I bought it because I thought it might be interesting to read about the life of Mary Magdalene. In the FIRST chapter, the author inferred Jesus was an illiterate, freeloading, drunk with promiscuity issues. I was going to return the book for a refund, but threw it in the trash instead. I didn't want to give someone else the opportunity of making the mistake of purchasing this slander against our Lord. I wanted to read a historical novel. Not conjecture and slander against the Lord who gave His life for me . I don't understand the other reviews. Maybe they skipped the first chapter. I will never purchase another book by this author.

The writing is very good but the author had to stretch his reference materials quite a bit to get the story to hang together. It might have been better as a piece of fiction than a biography. Otherwise, it was enjoyable reading, especially after reading two other books by the same author - Rabbi Jesus and Rabbi Paul. The thre together make quite an interesting set. LF Pinson

Dr. Chilton show a side of Mary that is not talked about by many people. He shows how important she was to Jesus and the early Christians. He explains why she is still very important to Christianity today. He explains all in away it is easy for "ordinary" people to understand.

Dr, Bruce Chilton strips away two millennia of fable and fantasy to bring to life one of the most important and least understood leaders of the early Christian church. Like his very popular lectures, this book is both authoritative and entertaining, first rate in both respects.

Read this if you want to know the truth! No fuss, brilliant scholarship. Fast delivery.

I did not know much about Mary of Magdala; she was a bit of mystery in the new Testament and in France where I travelled in 2006 she was a figure of fiction in my opinion ( she had carried the child of Jesus...). Bruce Chilton shed light on who she was as a person and how she relates to the Jesus story in the first century of this era. I found the book easy to read, since I had previously read Rabbi Jesus and had already some background in the history at that time. But mostly, the book brings to light the role that women had in Jesus ministry and how it became burried by later revisions of the story. Fascinating to read and read again...

Great read about the woman most misunderstood, vilified and condemned through no fault of her own. Some day they must unearth a manuscript that will prove her greatness and condemn the Catholic Church for its crimes against Jesus's message.

A great and inspiring read, I have shared this with friends :)