Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet
Meggan Watterson
--WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER-- The Gospel of Mary Magdalene reveals a very different love story from the one we've come to refer to as Christianity. Harvard-trained theologian Meggan Watterson leads us verse by verse through Mary's gospel to illuminate the powerful teachings it contains. A gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. more
264 pages, Hardcover
First published Hay House Inc.
4.26
Rating
3305
Ratings
418
Reviews
Meggan Watterson
17 books 242 followers
MEGGAN WATTERSON is the author of REVEAL, The Sutras of Unspeakable Joy, The Divine Feminine Oracle, and Mary Magdalene Revealed. She is a feminist theologian with a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. Meggan facilitates the REDLADIES—a community of radical love that lets her preach about female saints, mystics, gurus, and poets who inspire and teach us to live in service of love. Her work has appeared in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Marie Claire. She lives with her old-soul son and his exuberant goldfish, Bob.Community reviews
InspiringShe speaks to my soul. I’ve never agreed with the version of the Bible dictated to us through a man’s lens, the men-only club, etc. and have often stated this is some man’s interpretation only to be challenged and ostracized because ‘You don’t believe’ and ‘will go to hell’ and so on. This book, this inclusive, loving, evolving guide makes sense. Can’t say thank you enough for the recognition of both masculine and feminine, for we are both; interwoven and dependent for survival. more
For as long as I can remember, I have felt that I was searching for something. Becoming a Christian in my early twenties and belonging to a church community was the closest I ever came to feeling as though I'd found it . but it still wasn't quite right. Something was missing. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle with a piece missing. more
Hmmmm. I was really looking forward to reading this book. I ended up reading a book by someone who was unwilling to accept the status quo in religious doctrine. I'm not going to say that everything said in this book is wrong. Far from it. more
The cover looks kind of conservative, yet this actually reads like a memoir. I loved it. Each chapter is prefaced by a short epigram, a quote from one of the verses of the lost gospel of Mary Magdalene, which serves as inspiration for the author to share an anecdote and her understanding of the message. The book is structured into seven parts, or the seven powers that exist within us, 'an ingredients label for the ego', powers that at various times and for differing duration, can potentially hold us captive. As with all the powers, it isn't the power itself that's harmful. more
I gave up on this one. I was hoping for a more historical account, maybe a translation of what remains of the gospel of Mary, but this is just a personal memoir riddled with poor (invented. ) translations of words ("anthropos" has literally nothing to do with God or Divinity, it just means "man" or "mankind"). Very disappointed and very confused about how this woman came to be a Harvard theologian. more
Autobiography of the authorI really wanted to like this book, as I really wanted to learn more about Mary. Unfortunately, this book is 95% about the author, and 5% of Mary. Very disappointing. The book itself is very messy, almost like an inedited diary, skipping from topic to topic of absolutely no relevance to the reader. Plus, I was appaled at the author's lack of historical rigor. more
EavesdroppingI feel as though, as a male,if been evesdropping. By this I mean reading a book based on scarcity of unity and non dual. while was reading it I found myself squeezing to be included in some small way as a good man. I have found that to be fully human / divine, women and men must " vest in otherness so as to be present to pristine goodness, image and likeness. The fullest sense of the differentiates of our unity. more
If you are interested in feminist religious philosophy and Christianity, this book might be for you. I wanted to know more about the gospel of Mary, but this book only took snippets and sermonized them. It ended up being more of a self-help book for feminist Christians. . more
I am giving this book a 1 star because this book should have said on the cover “A self help book for Christian Feminist” the author did a poor job at showing us Mary we mainly got a memoir of the authors life with books that the author uses throughout the book to explain herself and not really showing us Mary there are several parts of the gospel of Mary missing and so the author start each chapter with a snippet of the gospel of Mary walking us through the gospel however not really giving of Mary at any point but continuously and in many cases repetitively telling us only of her life Meagan In my opinion completely omitting Mary there’s more in this book to be learned about the author if you’re looking for a book that is talking about Mary and really diving into who Mary is this is not it early on in the book before the author even starts talking about the first of the seven powers the author tells us that she will be giving us a sermon/her understanding of what that sermon is saying or what that gospel passage is saying in this is done poorly. more
But was it. A book that I was expecting to read about Mary Magdalene's Gnostic scriptures. In the main i enjoyed reading this book as I found it informative, and insightful. However, for me, the glaring omission from this text is the scripture in full (as what has been found) either at the start of the book, or the end. . more
This was nearly an interesting book because Watterson is a bona fide scholar of these ancient texts but unfortunately it is largely an account of her own up-and-down life delivered in jokey, blog-style prose that doesn’t cross the Atlantic well and isn’t interesting at all. I suspect she was aiming at something along the lines of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love but it is nowhere close to that book. Though I am not religious, I am curious about these ancient texts, such as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, as well those found near the Dead Sea and Nag Hammadi in Egypt over the course of the last century. They all point to teachings about an enlightenment far closer to Buddhist philosophy than the Christianity which evolved over the centuries and which, ironically, saw no need of any kind of institutional religion. Many also emphasise the equality of all, including women, and give Mary Magdalene her rightful place – a respectable woman and the close companion of Jesus. more
I don’t know how to do justice to the power and beauty of this book. I could FEEL the truth in it. It frequently brought me to tears, as I was resonating so deeply with the beautiful messages shared within. I’m so grateful. . more
The sacred embrace of Mary The Gospel of Mary Magdalene presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. Both the content and the message lead inward toward the identity, power, and freedom of the true Self. The soul is set free from the powers of matter and the fear of death. For example, The Savior said, all nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots (Mary 4:22, Pages 1 to 6 of the original manuscript containing chapters 1 - 3 are lost. The extant text of this gospel starts on page 7, chapter 4). more
This is not my usual reading fare. I saw the cover and a small still voice within said, "Read this book". I don't get those often so I did. It's a wild ride. The author is a feminist and a pretty freethinking . more
I needed this book, I needed to keep rereading passages in this book. It was recommended by a friend whose perspective on life, love of all creatures, acceptance, curiosity, empathy, calm and action I greatly respect. I told her I felt lost, seriously lost after a year of judgement, hatred, loss and fear, so she recommended this book. Traditional and social media have driven such destruction of the soul. Enter the female perspective. more
Interesting analysis of the Gospel of Mary, one of the gospels that did not make the cut at Nicea (where flat out forgeries DID make the cut). The Gospel is Mary did not make the cut because it is not a patriarchal interpretation of Christ’s teachings and is, instead, an ascent narrative. The gospel here is about the soul coming alive to love, and God is not a gendered person but rather always referenced as “The Good. ”Considering there is not even a word in Aramaic for “salvation,” I find Mary’s gospel compelling. This gospel is not about life after death, but rather coming alive to life and love while yet in the body. more
Not everyone is going to love this book, because not everyone agrees that orthodoxy was made by elite dudes on top of the political and socio-economic food chain. But this book, for all of its potential flaws or self-indulgences, the very subject matter of this book dismantles an orthodoxy for the oppressor and opens up a whole new level of spiritual wonder. If that is still a scary thing for you, maybe don’t start here. But if it’s the least bit exciting, give it a shot. Judgement free. more
This book could not have come into my life at a better time. I highly recommend it to anyone who is open to learn all about the feminine and the truth that humanity forgot for millennia that we have everything we ever need within ourselves. Meggan Watterson has a poetic way of writing and weaving words together; I look forward to reading her first book Reveal. Thank you Meggan for sharing your story and for being open and vulnerable with us 💓. more
I am not sure why that red book cover jumped out at me, but I dropped the book into my shopping cart without a second thought and made my purchase. As the calendar turned to December, I thought it would be the perfect time to read something about Christianity, and Meggan Watterson’s book found its way to my nightstand. And for seven nights, I was enthralled. Mary Magdalene Revealed is part history, part memoir, part self-help. Watterson expertly explains the history of Mary Magdalene, and describes her personal pilgrimage to southern France and England. more
When a book is too esoteric or existential that only the author knows what the heck he or she is talking about--well forget it. Does the author think the average person can figure out her theology and "out there" thinking and deciphering of these gospels. What is the point of your message if they can't. She is writing in language that is as difficult to figure out as the gospels themselves. I thought her job was to translate them for us. more
Amazing. This book has been profoundly transformational for me. Every page is an inner reorganization that uncovers missing pieces of my heart I scarcely knew I was looking for. . more
Am I the only one who didn't enjoy this book. I'm an undergraduate theology student and planning to write my dissertation on women in the early church, so I thought this would be a bit more of a comprehensive academic text. I suppose I shouldn't have started reading with those expectations, especially as Watterson began to define terms such as hermeneutics, exegesis, etc. I get the sense that Watterson is preaching to the choir in this book- it reads very much as if the reader is already convinced. Even in one of the first chapters, where she talks about how Mary Magdalane's Gospel was discovered, I wanted to hear more about how we're absolutely, positively sure it's not a forgery (especially more than just mentioning which century it's from). more
How do you actually review a book that is more than a book. As I expected, reading this was a very personal journey. I knew about it for so long I was surprised it's not that old. And I kept it apart, not finding it right to read in a specific time frame. And now, for no reasons, I couldn't put it down. more
Literally stopped reading this when she said “If you stop reading after this sentence, then this is the most important thing you need to hear. We are inherently good. ” NOPE. She states several times she is not a Christian, okay other views are good to have, but with that bias she then states we are all good. The opposite of what God tells us in the Bible. more
Message was beautiful but writing style lackedThis could have been an enjoyable book. I found the author repeating herself too often. Then there were the sentences that the author changed her mind, what I mean by change her mind is she would suddenly go in a different direction. With a little bit of thought and a good editor. This could have been a great book. more
Loved this book. I read it alongside a translation of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. It takes you deep into a love that transforms everything. . more
Meggan Watterson is a theologian who studied at Harvard Divinity School and Columbia University’s Theological Seminary. She devoted much of her life to studying the gospel of Mary Magdalene, which radically changed and improved her view of Christianity. These writings and Meggan’s perspective are revolutionary and worth considering. The book started off strong for me, lost me towards the middle, and then picked me up again at the end for a strong finish. There are aspects that I have always believed, some that are new, but feel true, and others that don’t fit into my belief system. more
Audiobook. I thought there would be way more about Mary Magdalene, given the title. It is mostly memoir, and for everything else I imagined I was a Wikipedia editor having an absolute field day with [citation needed]. . more
The core of this book is about Mary Magdalene and the lost teachings of Christ, that we find God in ourselves and heaven on earth. The parts of the book that are about the history of Mary and the work done to suppress her story (and the stories of other important women in early Christianity) are the most interesting. However, the author chose to present this information as a memoir. The book follows her own spiritual path. She mentions one of the teachings of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, and then she explains it in the context of her own life. more