Rachel Summers

Mary of Magdala Rachel Summers

It is the scarcity of information on Mary of Magdala that has served to fuel the fire of both the religious and scholarly imagination alike, a fire that gives her character continued interest even today. Because of the uncertainties, details were invented, blanks were filled, figures were merged, and a character came onto the stage to play an evolving role that has been talked about for centuries. Today, scholars seem most interested in excavating the historical Mary from centuries of religious invention, but we may never be able to reconcile myth and history in her figure, nor is such a task necessary, for historical accuracy and historical significance are two distinct categories; it is not necessary to have the former in order to have the latter. The traditional Magdalene proves this as religious significance far outweighs historical veracity in her shadowy figure. Nonetheless, we still long to know the nature of the role the Magdalene played - herein lies an attempt to do just that.