I was excited to meet renowned author Margaret Starbird on a recent trip to Seattle. Margaret’s work on the secret tradition concerning the possible marriage of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, and her work in uncovering the model of the union between masculine and feminine in the sacred texts of the Bible and the gnostic tradition, has been profound and illuminating, both from the point of view of revealing the symbolism inherent in many works of religious art, and from the historical wisdom tradition that exists in The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas and other non-canonical works. Her books such as The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, and Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile, have had a profound effect on my own deeply held suspicions and convictions about not only Jesus’ early life and ministry, but the lost legacy of the role of Mary Magdalene in early Christian history: as the pillar of heart wisdom mysticism and the Apostle to the Apostles; a woman who was mistakenly cast as the penitent sinner, instead of the spiritual leader that she truly was, and beloved companion to Jesus. Starbird’s work and also that of authors such as Cynthia Bourgeault have spurred my desire to continue working on a major project concerning this topic.

I pose this question: so how does this story – the story of the Apostle to the Apostles – fit into the wider story of Jesus of Nazareth? And how does this story challenge the narrative that we have been given about Jesus, and about Christianity generally? Does it in fact enhance the story – or rewrite it? More will be revealed…