Mary Magdalene, Jesus’s disciple and follower, called the Apostle to the Apostles and held in high esteem by the early church has for the last fifteen hundred years in the West been remembered with a different reputation. So often reduced to a stereotype of the prostitute and fallen woman, her character defamation is reinforced byContinue reading “Mary Magdalene in Art – Fallen Woman or Redeemed Saint”
Category Archives: New Testament women
Mary’s song of deliverance
As Christmas approaches, our thoughts turn to the stories of Jesus’s birth and one character above all others, that is to Mary, Jesus’s mother. This young unmarried woman, no more than a girl, has just heard that she will become pregnant and give birth to God’s son. She sings a mighty song, sometimes called theContinue reading “Mary’s song of deliverance”
I’m calling on the God of Martha
This month’s blog is a little different from usual. If you are a regular reader, you will be familiar with my creative interviews of Biblical women of the New Testament by my fictional Roman journalist, Aemilia Metella. Or my discussions on various aspects relating to Biblical women. But this month I decided to try somethingContinue reading “I’m calling on the God of Martha“
Who were the women who anointed Jesus?
The Bible stories of the women who anointed Jesus’s feet have intrigued me for a long time. Wondering who they were and why they performed such a public display of their devotion to Jesus, and in the process opened themselves up to misinterpretation, censure and ridicule. All four gospels tell the story, with slight variations,Continue reading “Who were the women who anointed Jesus?”
Reclaiming Mary Magdalene
Ask most people to name one of Jesus’s female disciples or followers, and they will probably say Mary Magdalene, and if you probe a little further, they will say, “wasn’t she a prostitute?” In my May 2022 blog, I talked about the Bible’s “bad girls”, those to whom history has not been kind. https://leavingbethany.com/2022/05/04/taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-bad-girls-of-the-bible/ WhenContinue reading “Reclaiming Mary Magdalene”
Taking a fresh look at the bad girls of the Bible
It’s taken me a while to get around to the theme of this month’s blog, and I have debated with myself even about the title. Second-guessing myself whether I should even discuss the historical sexualisation of female Biblical characters. Who are the bad girls referred to in the title? These are the women who historyContinue reading “Taking a fresh look at the bad girls of the Bible”
The women who saw and told
The credible witnesses to Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection Imagine you have witnessed a crime, and you have to make a statement to the police to say what you saw or heard. You need to be truthful and tell the whole truth and not add any details which did not occur. In a court, a credibleContinue reading “The women who saw and told”
Phoebe, A Friend of Paul, Part 2
This is the third of my three blogs about an amazing church leader called Phoebe. It’s easy to get tied up in thoughts that Paul and the early church were against women leaders, speakers and missionaries. This is blatantly not true, and a close reading of Paul’s letters and the book of Acts in theContinue reading “Phoebe, A Friend of Paul, Part 2”
Phoebe, a friend of Paul Part 1
One of the most important women in the history of the early church you probably have never heard of. Not so long ago, a friend mentioned Phoebe and her importance to Paul’s ministry. I was shocked that having studied the Bible for many years (and I should add decades); I knew so little of her.Continue reading “Phoebe, a friend of Paul Part 1”
Leaving Bethany 