Jeffery Harvey
The Gospel of Mary
I have been intrigued by the stories of Jesus ("gospels") that do not appear in the Bible, not because I'm looking for some sort of schism in the church or trying to stoke any type of controversy. Rather, they purport to tell more of the story of Jesus and his teachings - that's intriguing. I don't consider myself a Biblical scholar by any stretch, but I appreciated the tone that Mattison took with his translation and the explanation for it. He, too, was not looking for any type of "grand conspiracy" for not including Mary's gospel in the Bible. He looked for parallels with Biblical material and approached the piece as a means of offering additional clarity (or, at least...depth) to one's understanding of the teachings of Jesus.
I read the piece as having three main themes: being an authentic human, the beauty of the mind we authentic humans have, and confronting personal demons. I'm reaching a bit with that last one because, admittedly, I had trouble following the passages about the ascension of the soul (and its confronting seven powers). Mattison's explanations (and citations of others who have transcribed the work) were very helpful here. I lean toward the allegorical approach taken by some of the cited scholars, but as Mattison suggests, interpretations can only be partial until more of the manuscript surfaces.
Mattison points us toward a focus on what is eternal (versus what is temporary - i.e., physical existence) in the beginning of the text. I find that message to be very consistent with Biblical material and, dare I say, a helpful spin on it. I also find my second noted theme, the beauty of the mind, to be an acknowledgement that human minds are what perceive the divine while physically existing. Perhaps that a bit of a challenge to the notion of the soul as perceiving the divine (or even the heart), but again, one's mind is what helps her/his soul to navigate the physical world, so why wouldn't it be what would see (and interpret) visions?
As personal commentary, I take no issue with Jesus having had female followers/disciples, and I don't have an issue with one of those women writing down their experiences with Jesus. (I acknowledge the debate about which Mary is the actual author of this text, though I tend to agree with scholars that it is likely Mary Magdalene.) I also appreciate the depiction of the other disciples in this writing. Yes, they bicker and they challenge Mary's tale (perhaps unnecessarily vigorously), but the writing shows them as people dealing with radical (for the time), paradigm-shifting teaching, just as they had for the entirety of the time they followed Jesus. It seems natural for their to be disagreements between groups, even bickering. It also paints a consistent picture of Peter if we remember that he was one who took extra convincing concerning many of Jesus's lessons.
In summary, this translation is a quick, easy and informative read. I found it hopeful and thought-provoking. I won't recommend all read it, but if you have a curiosity about the "extra gospels," then this translation is an useful overview of Mary's "gospel."
I have been intrigued by the stories of Jesus ("gospels") that do not appear in the Bible, not because I'm looking for some sort of schism in the church or trying to stoke any type of controversy. Rather, they purport to tell more of the story of Jesus and his teachings - that's intriguing. I don't consider myself a Biblical scholar by any stretch, but I appreciated the tone that Mattison took with his translation and the explanation for it. He, too, was not looking for any type of "grand conspiracy" for not including Mary's gospel in the Bible. He looked for parallels with Biblical material and approached the piece as a means of offering additional clarity (or, at least...depth) to one's understanding of the teachings of Jesus.
I read the piece as having three main themes: being an authentic human, the beauty of the mind we authentic humans have, and confronting personal demons. I'm reaching a bit with that last one because, admittedly, I had trouble following the passages about the ascension of the soul (and its confronting seven powers). Mattison's explanations (and citations of others who have transcribed the work) were very helpful here. I lean toward the allegorical approach taken by some of the cited scholars, but as Mattison suggests, interpretations can only be partial until more of the manuscript surfaces.
Mattison points us toward a focus on what is eternal (versus what is temporary - i.e., physical existence) in the beginning of the text. I find that message to be very consistent with Biblical material and, dare I say, a helpful spin on it. I also find my second noted theme, the beauty of the mind, to be an acknowledgement that human minds are what perceive the divine while physically existing. Perhaps that a bit of a challenge to the notion of the soul as perceiving the divine (or even the heart), but again, one's mind is what helps her/his soul to navigate the physical world, so why wouldn't it be what would see (and interpret) visions?
As personal commentary, I take no issue with Jesus having had female followers/disciples, and I don't have an issue with one of those women writing down their experiences with Jesus. (I acknowledge the debate about which Mary is the actual author of this text, though I tend to agree with scholars that it is likely Mary Magdalene.) I also appreciate the depiction of the other disciples in this writing. Yes, they bicker and they challenge Mary's tale (perhaps unnecessarily vigorously), but the writing shows them as people dealing with radical (for the time), paradigm-shifting teaching, just as they had for the entirety of the time they followed Jesus. It seems natural for their to be disagreements between groups, even bickering. It also paints a consistent picture of Peter if we remember that he was one who took extra convincing concerning many of Jesus's lessons.
In summary, this translation is a quick, easy and informative read. I found it hopeful and thought-provoking. I won't recommend all read it, but if you have a curiosity about the "extra gospels," then this translation is an useful overview of Mary's "gospel."