The Cathar Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Feminine: Pop Culture Legend vs. Medieval Doctrine
: This study investigates the historical evidence for the widespread pop culture assertion, disseminated through popular histories, novels, and spiritual tourism, that the medieval Cathars of southern France treasured a tradition that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had children, and, as s...
| Published in: | Journal of religion and popular culture |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Saskatchewan
[2012]
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| In: |
Journal of religion and popular culture
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| Further subjects: | B
Da Vinci Code
B Jesus B Cathars B Sacred Feminine B Mary Magdalene |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | : This study investigates the historical evidence for the widespread pop culture assertion, disseminated through popular histories, novels, and spiritual tourism, that the medieval Cathars of southern France treasured a tradition that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had children, and, as such, the holy couple provides a model for human marriage affirmative of the sacred feminine. The medieval sources indicate that while there are a few testimonies of Cathar belief in a spousal relationship between Christ and the Magdalene, and a notion of female deities married to the good God and his evil counterpart, these doctrines appear to be based on literalistic interpretations of scriptural passages and well-known Catholic metaphors. Although Christianity can benefit from the restoration of Mary Magdalene to her deserved apostolic status, the humanization of Jesus, the recognition of the female divine, and the affirmation of sexuality, medieval Cathar doctrines offer little support for these contemporary concerns. |
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| ISSN: | 1703-289X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.24.3.419 |