Mary of Magdala has forever been a fascinating and controversial figure in the field of religious studies. Just who this enigmatic woman may have been is a question that will continue to plague the imagination of both believer and scholar alike.
In this study, the question of her identity is addressed as one of tradition and text. The "historical" Mary does, however, find a place here--she is presented as a persistent Christian belief in her veracity, and as the foundation for both the textual and traditional (medieval) Mary. As such, the textual, the "historical," and the medieval will be...