Abstract:
Religion and its nexus with culture in explaining the women’s status in society can be examined from a new perspective; in particular, the most religious texts are written by men and the status of women has been affected by the masculine perspective of these texts. In feminist studies, however, a new approach has evolved reviving the women’s role in religious experiences in order to improve their positions in religious communities. Hence, in Christian studies, feminine investigations were conducted not only in New Testament but also in other religious texts, including the Apocryphal books. Even though the apocryphal texts were not considered canonical, the scholars think that they are so important because they reflect the ideas and beliefs of some elite members of the early Christianity. By investigating the views of the authors of these texts, a better model of women's religious experiences in that period can be grasped, in particular with respect to Mary Magdalene and her controversial personality. The descriptive-analytical method of this article at first throws some light on Mary Magdalene’s relationship with Jesus, and then paints a new perspective with respect to her personality conforming to the feminists’ four axes.
Machine summary:
Mary Magdalene in Apocryphal Texts: A Feminist Perspective Maryam al-Sadat Siahpush,¹ Tahereh Haj Ebrahimi,² Leila Hooshangi ³ (Article Received: 2021/05/24 - Article Accepted: 2021/06/17) Abstract Religion and its connection with culture can be examined from a new perspective to explain the position of women in society; especially since most religious texts have been written by men and this masculine perception of religion has affected the status of women.
In the conducted studies, Mary Magdalene is considered a witness to the fundamental Christian faith in all four Gospels of the New Testament, as she is introduced as one of the original Jewish disciples and the women witnesses of the resurrection.
On the other hand, in unofficial sources known as the apocryphal texts, which were written in the early days of Christianity, a special appearance of Mary is presented that introduces her as superior to all the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ.
In this regard, the present research, using a descriptive-analytical method, after examining the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, discusses Mary's personality traits and ultimately seeks to provide a feminist response regarding this character.
Therefore, the present research seeks to investigate her position from a feminist perspective, considering Mary Magdalene’s role in the apocryphal texts, and thus differs from the two studies mentioned.
The apocryphal texts in which the character of Mary Magdalene is prominently displayed include: the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, Pistis Sophia, the Dialogue of the Savior, ١ the First Apocalypse of James, the Wisdom of Jesus Christ, and the Manichaean Psalms.
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