Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the Sinful Woman of Luke 7: The Same Person?

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avondale-bepress-to-dspace.facultyTheology
avondale-bepress.abstract<p>This article argues that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman in Luke 7 should be identified as one and the same, as long held by Christian tradition but recently challenged. Comparison of the four Gospel narratives of Christ’s anointing reveals numerous details supporting this identification and none contradicting it. For privacy and security reasons the synoptics may have suppressed Mary’s identity, backstory and hometown of Bethany, linking her instead to Magdala, her temporary workplace. John, writing later, can reveal more. Sustained literary motifs also build a consistent characterisation. An intriguing story emerges which, far from discrediting Mary from influence or ministry, honours a woman called by Christ to be an apostle even to the apostles and an eyewitness to his resurrection and transformative grace, the essence of his message. This reading recognises sexism in Christian history even from the first but critiques it, affirming egalitarianism.</p>
avondale-bepress.articleid1082
avondale-bepress.authorsGrenville J. Kent
avondale-bepress.context-key6224641
avondale-bepress.coverpage-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/theo_papers/80
avondale-bepress.document-typearticle
avondale-bepress.field.author_faculty_disciplineTheology
avondale-bepress.field.comments<p>Used by permission: <a href="http://www.aiias.edu/">Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies</a></p> <p>At the time of writing Grenville Kent was affiliated with Wesley Institute.</p>
avondale-bepress.field.custom_citation<p>Kent, G. (2010). Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7: The same person? <em>Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 13</em>(1), 13-28.</p>
avondale-bepress.field.embargo_date2014-10-09T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.for220499 Religion and Religious Studies not elsewhere classified
avondale-bepress.field.issn1908-4862
avondale-bepress.field.issue_number1
avondale-bepress.field.journalJournal of Asia Adventist Seminary
avondale-bepress.field.page_numbers13-28
avondale-bepress.field.publication_date2010-01-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.source_fulltext_urlhttp://www.aiias.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=144
avondale-bepress.field.source_publication<p>This article was originally published as:</p> <p>Kent, G. (2010). Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7: The same person? <em>Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 13</em>(1), 13-28.</p> <p>ISSN:1908-4862</p>
avondale-bepress.field.volume_number13
avondale-bepress.fulltext-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&amp;context=theo_papers&amp;unstamped=1
avondale-bepress.keywordsMary Magdalene
avondale-bepress.keywordsMary of Bethany
avondale-bepress.keywords“sinful woman”
avondale-bepress.keywordswomen
avondale-bepress.keywordssexism
avondale-bepress.keywordswomen’s ordination
avondale-bepress.label80
avondale-bepress.publication-date2010-01-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.publication-titleTheology Papers and Journal Articles
avondale-bepress.statepublished
avondale-bepress.submission-date2014-10-09T17:44:00Z
avondale-bepress.submission-paththeo_papers/80
avondale-bepress.titleMary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the Sinful Woman of Luke 7: The Same Person?
avondale-bepress.typearticle
dc.contributor.authorKent, Grenville J.
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-01T00:38:42Z
dc.date.available2023-11-01T00:38:42Z
dc.date.issued2010-01-01
dc.date.submitted2014-10-09T17:44:00Z
dc.description.abstract<p>This article argues that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman in Luke 7 should be identified as one and the same, as long held by Christian tradition but recently challenged. Comparison of the four Gospel narratives of Christ’s anointing reveals numerous details supporting this identification and none contradicting it. For privacy and security reasons the synoptics may have suppressed Mary’s identity, backstory and hometown of Bethany, linking her instead to Magdala, her temporary workplace. John, writing later, can reveal more. Sustained literary motifs also build a consistent characterisation. An intriguing story emerges which, far from discrediting Mary from influence or ministry, honours a woman called by Christ to be an apostle even to the apostles and an eyewitness to his resurrection and transformative grace, the essence of his message. This reading recognises sexism in Christian history even from the first but critiques it, affirming egalitarianism.</p>
dc.identifier.citation<p>Kent, G. (2010). Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7: The same person? <em>Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 13</em>(1), 13-28.</p>
dc.identifier.issn1908-4862
dc.identifier.urihttps://research.avondale.edu.au/handle/123456789/06224641
dc.language.isoen_us
dc.provenance<p>This article was originally published as:</p> <p>Kent, G. (2010). Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7: The same person? <em>Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 13</em>(1), 13-28.</p> <p>ISSN:1908-4862</p>
dc.rights<p>Used by permission: <a href="http://www.aiias.edu/">Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies</a></p> <p>At the time of writing Grenville Kent was affiliated with Wesley Institute.</p>
dc.subjectMary Magdalene
dc.subjectMary of Bethany
dc.subject“sinful woman”
dc.subjectwomen
dc.subjectsexism
dc.subjectwomen’s ordination
dc.titleMary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the Sinful Woman of Luke 7: The Same Person?
dc.typeJournal Article
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