Liberal Christianity

Lesson 3: Jesus: History, Mystery and Doubt

Jesus, Mary Magdalene, The DaVinci Code, The Holy Grail and Resurrection Doubts.

This is the stuff of intriguing speculation and fun fiction! Ideas of a married Jesus, Mary Magdalene's less anonymous role as the "Woman with the Alabaster Jar (Margaret Starbird's book) in the New Testament gospels, migration to France and legends around the true nature of the Holy Grail are in vogue right now.

Speculations of faked crucifixions in which Jesus survived and had no need of resurrection compete with fictional guesses as to what might happen if the unresurrected bones of Jesus were found.

Other speculations tempt us with the idea of discovery of ancient scrolls that refute the traditional version of Christian theology - for example, a scroll revealing that Jesus' closest confidant was in fact Judas Iscariot (his so-called betrayer) and that their objective was to incite a military revolt.

Bottom line is that a powerful sense of Jesus - whether connected to traditional faith and belief or to tantalizing mystery research - important because of the role of Jesus in society - still prompts and inspires our thoughts and actions.

Exercises:

1. Speculate that it becomes proven that Jesus was married (a perfectly normal progression and societal expectation in patriarchal Judea at the time).

a. What difference would that make to a Christian belief system?

b. Who, besides Christian celibates, would resist the idea of a married Jesus and why?

c. How would such knowledge impact Mary Magdalene and Jesus' mother, Mary in terms of theology and worship?

d. What role, if any, do you think patriarchy plays in resistance to a married Jesus?

2. Whether or not Jesus was married would have little impact on whether or not Jesus was resurrected.

a. Why then was the early Roman Church so opposed to Magdalene that the Pope Gregory deliberately lied when he labeled Magdalene a harlot when such was in fact not true? (The modern church has acknowledged the lie of Gregory.)

b. Assuming that the Resurrection occurred, what would be the implication if, as speculated, the Holy Grail was actually Magdalene (or her womb)?

3. Married or not, resurrected or not, Jesus had a relationship with Mary Magdalene that was as profound as that of his apostles although arguably possibly not in a theological/patriarchal way.

a. The question remains, why do you think the Roman Church persecuted those in Europe and the Knights Templar who were spiritually connected to Magdalene?

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