"5.
Another point of controversy arises from the discovery of the Gnostic Gospels. Here, Mary's depiction starkly contrasts with that of the canonical gospels in two fundamental ways. Mary is seen as " first among the apostles" because she is Jesus' only disciple to fully understand his teachings and to successfully integrate them into her own life. Dialogue Two of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene delineates Mary's true grasp of Jesus' teachings as she supports her fellow disciples who are fearful now that Jesus is gone, saying to them, "Do not weep and grievehis grace will be with all of you, sustaining and protecting you. Rather, let us give praise to his greatness which has prepared us so that we might become fully human."6 This notion of "becoming fully human" is critical to understanding Mary Magdalene and will be discussed at greater length shortly. Secondly, her relationship to Jesus is patently distinct from all of Jesus' other relationships in that it includes an erotic dimension.7 In the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Peter says, "We know that he loved you more than all other women."8 Coupled with the Gospel of Philip's startling description, "for Jesus used to walk with her and kissed her frequently upon the mouth," it can easily be understood how the erotic view has gained traction.9 The idea of celibacy and Jesus' ascetic way of life, however, is expressly lauded in Christianity, and therefore this purported sensual relationship with Mary Magdalene poses a great threat to orthodox Christian doctrine. Following this train of thought, the event of the woman with the alabaster jar could instead be considered, as Margaret Starbird in her book, "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar," suggests, a "symbolic ritual enacted between two lovers about to be separated."10 Bourgeault attempts to reconcile and validate this potential conjugal intimacy by suggesting the Church's discomfort with the intersection of sex and sacrament is the result of an early misperception of ideals that has been perpetuated for nearly two millennia.
