From Michael Haag; the international bestselling author of The Templars: The History the Myth and The Tragedy of the Templars; comes a fascinating account of one of the most mysterious and controversial figures in religious history.Mary Magdalene is a potent and enigmatic figure. In the gospels she finances Jesus’ mission in Galilee and is the only person with Jesus at his crucifixion; burial and resurrection—the critical moments that define his purpose and give rise to a new religion.Yet in the sixth century Mary Magdalene fell foul of a profound argument in which the established; ritualized and hierarchical Church required that God be worshipped through itself; whereas everything about Mary Magdalene suggests a more immediate and personal experience of the divine. Pope Gregory reduced Mary Magdalene from an independent visionary to a sinner and a prostitute while making Jesus’ mother Mary; who is a nonentity in the gospels; into a creature of the Church; hailing her as the epitome of all things feminine and holy.In The Quest for Mary Magdalene; historian Michael Haag presents Mary Magdalene as the woman at the center of Jesus’s life; a visionary and a radically independent woman. He explores how she has been used and abused and reinterpreted in every age; and he examines what she reveals about men and women; Jesus and God.
#334573 in Books Rodney Stark 2012-11-06 2012-11-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.28 x 6.00l; 1.15 #File Name: 0062007696512 pagesThe Triumph of Christianity How the Jesus Movement Became the World s Largest Religion
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. More great history from a sociologist!By C. AppleyardMy favorite subject in high school was history. We had a year of Western Civ; a year of American History and finally a year of modern history. The class I hated most freshman year of college was a history course. The difference? Our high school was the guinea pig for Harvard U's education programs. We had no text books; we read original documents and a plethora of historians' and social scientists' perspectives on topics. Every summer; we had reading to do...before Western Civ; we got a packet with stories about three teens. One was the son of a Jewish (immigrant) deli owner in Brooklyn. The second was an American Indian and the fourth was a 'mid-western' youth. The stories involved the boys and their dads. When we got to class in September; the teacher asked what we thought of the writings. Most of the class wondered what they had to do with anything. But some of us; saw them as generational/cultural conflicts. Each boy is immersed in a different milieu but the conflict remains the same. So we discussed the reason for the conflicts. It was cultural Anthropology/sociology (which ended up being my major). History was taught through this lens rather than facts and dates. Time periods were important; why was far more important than when and the interplay of culture; place and generation created the background for a very full picture. For me; this is what Rodney Stark does in all his books. He doesn't care who wins but rather why they win; what was it that made one side successful and the other not so much; and how that 'win' or 'lose' affects the next chapter in the history of Christianity. Who was right or wrong is not part of the equation.He has no dog in the chase; so he calls on all the facts that are out there; not only those that move a particular agenda along. It is really the way all history should be taught. They say history is written by the winners. Good history is written by the objective observer. In Church history; there are very few of those. Mr. Stark one of those rare observers; he is a gift given to the Church.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Read this book!By Marcia YiapanAfter hearing Eric Metaxes say that it was one of Chuck Colson's favorite books; I started reading the Triumph of Christianity by borrowing the library's copy and quickly decided that I must buy my own. It is probably the best nonfiction book I've ever read. Rodney Stark busts a lot of myths about western civilization and the church and explains some puzzling questions. Every believer should read it. So should skeptics!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Great Book!By Thomas M. MageeThis book is very interesting. I am not sure how to start the review. The book has a lot in it. I do think any believer will find it well worth their time to read it. The first part of the book is a rough history of the church. The history goes over things most people will learn something from.This isn't a deep history. The development of theology is almost ignored. He gives some eye opening information about how fast the church as grown under Roman times. It had reached across all levels of society. I liked how he presented information that Jesus and the disciples might have been a biblical version of the middle class. That information sort of recasts the events of the New Testament in a new light. Then the book moves to a review of various issues that have confronted the church over the past two thousand years. I really liked the chapters about the non PC version of the crusades and the expansion of Islam at the point of a sword. The last couple of books is really eye opening. He reviews the church as it is today. His statistics shows that the church has grown to a stage most of us haven't realized across the globe. All who are familiar with the new testament will know the significance of that piece of information.
