What if Mary Magdalene’s truest witness survived not in the canon but in a hidden gospel? The Gospel of the Beloved Companion raises questions of history and authenticity, yet resonates with contemplatives as luminous truth. Explore why this contested text still speaks with power, whether ancient scripture or sacred midrash.
"Open the heart, shift perception..." I like that. It reminds me of Brian Lumley's Harry Keogh. I've had Lumley stories on my mind lately. Crazy how much fiction and lore crosses paths with theological texts we might be wholly unaware of without both. I appreciate these 'new' things that are old. Thank you.
Fifty-plus years ago I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It made me consider what is really important in any decision -- not that I got it right every time. Now I believe that it was the understanding that the question was there to consider that is the really important thing. Anyway, I have always believed that baptism marks the beginning of awareness of one's connection to the divine, and that connection to the divine illuminates everything that comes after. Which is not to say that I know that I am glowing. But I usually do know when I am not. If I think about it. Anyway, scholarship is secular practice. Nobody is going to believe that Robert Pirsig's work was written at the dawn of enlightenment by a holy person. Unless, one understands holiness (and time) a lot differently than we usually do.
Emily, love that you pulled Pirsig into this. Feels right. Scholarship might not wear the “holy” badge, but it can still break something open. Half the time the so-called secular books slip in deeper than scripture.
Baptism as awareness makes sense. Not glowing like a halo, more like a pilot light in the background. You only notice it when it flickers.
And yeah, maybe holiness and time were never really separate. We just carved them apart.
It’s so poignant- “history wants receipts.” in the religious figures that I study as well as the consciousness that they represent (śiva/Kālī etc…), it’s so easy to tell people “well, that date that you are proposing for such and such a figure is just totally wrong because…” cue the becauses… and each time my poor little academic heart feels the conditioned impulse to do that I stop and consider that the figure (śiva!) will always represent some central element of human experience. Perhaps consciousness itself. Who can date that?
Cynthia, exactly. History can argue over receipts all day, but the reality those figures point to is timeless. You can’t put a timestamp on consciousness. Whether it’s Śiva, Kālī, or Magdalene, the question isn’t “when did they live” so much as “what part of us do they awaken.” That’s the part no carbon dating can touch.
“Virgin Monk Boy insight: History wants receipts. Spirit wants resonance. When the two don’t align, you learn where your loyalty lies.” …. Give me Spirit
A compelling essay! I really like viewing the Resurrection as awakening rather than spectacle. Thank you for calling attention to this intriguing gospel. I agree that it doesn't really matter whether it is "authentic." 🙏♥️🙏
Katie and Lucien, that’s beautifully said. History can footnote itself into paralysis, but Spirit keeps humming anyway. Resonance is the receipt the soul trusts. Some gospels explain, others breathe. Thank you for catching the Magdalene in that threshold space, alive and unbothered by who demands paperwork.
This was a fascinating and bold reflection. I appreciate how you hold the tension between reverence and questioning, showing that truth isn’t diminished by inquiry, it’s deepened. Your willingness to explore outside the accepted lines gives this piece a rare kind of honesty.
Inquiry is holy mischief. Reverence without questions is just taxidermy faith. Better to stay tangled in the living mystery than polished in the museum of certainty.
It’s in my Amazon “save for later”! I live Social Security check to Social Security check so I have to wait until next Wednesday 😊! I’ve been reading Cynthia Bourgeault’s “The Meaning of Mary Magdalene” and though some of it reads like a wonderful novel, I’m struggling through some parts that seem like an advanced theological thesis - in other words, over my head. But I keep reading because I glean surprising treasures hidden in those more challenging chapters. I’m excited to read The Gospel of the Beloved Companion. Thanks so much for sharing all of your insights! You’re writing is such a blessing to me!
Fran, that’s the best kind of reading. Half of it feels like a feast, the other half like homework from a professor you didn’t sign up for. That “advanced theological thesis” texture is exactly where Cynthia hides the jewels she doesn’t trust the casual reader with. You’re right to keep digging. The treasure’s always tucked between the footnotes.
Your writing soothes like a tonic that warms the soul on the way down. So grateful for it thank you.
I watched a program about 5 years ago that was about Mary, that she was perhaps the original source of wisdom. Maybe on the history channel or something. I wonder if anyone knows of it? I’ve never been able to find it again.
Lisa, I love how you said that. About the program — you might be remembering one of the History Channel or PBS-style docs that framed Mary as the “seat of wisdom,” the vessel through which divine wisdom enters the world. Some also call her the original source of wisdom in Christian tradition. If you recall details, I can help track it down.
It mentioned evidence that Mary was the source, as you said; but for practical purposes she needed a man to deliver the gospel is about all I remember sadly. Thank you vmb🙏
The Gospel of the Beloved Companion reads very similar to the Gospel of John. It weaves in sayings that feel like the Gospel of Thomas and then it closes with material that parallels the Gospel of Mary. The difference is that The Beloved Companion comes through as a continuous, complete narrative, while The Gospel of Mary survives only in fragments.
Fascinating and fun. Well written too - I love how you end each little section with Virgin Monk Boy insights.
What did you do to become an Amazon Affiliate and what else is involved in it other than getting little kickbacks from Amazon when someone buys a book you suggest?
"Open the heart, shift perception..." I like that. It reminds me of Brian Lumley's Harry Keogh. I've had Lumley stories on my mind lately. Crazy how much fiction and lore crosses paths with theological texts we might be wholly unaware of without both. I appreciate these 'new' things that are old. Thank you.
Your insight is a blessing. 🙏
Fifty-plus years ago I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It made me consider what is really important in any decision -- not that I got it right every time. Now I believe that it was the understanding that the question was there to consider that is the really important thing. Anyway, I have always believed that baptism marks the beginning of awareness of one's connection to the divine, and that connection to the divine illuminates everything that comes after. Which is not to say that I know that I am glowing. But I usually do know when I am not. If I think about it. Anyway, scholarship is secular practice. Nobody is going to believe that Robert Pirsig's work was written at the dawn of enlightenment by a holy person. Unless, one understands holiness (and time) a lot differently than we usually do.
Emily, love that you pulled Pirsig into this. Feels right. Scholarship might not wear the “holy” badge, but it can still break something open. Half the time the so-called secular books slip in deeper than scripture.
Baptism as awareness makes sense. Not glowing like a halo, more like a pilot light in the background. You only notice it when it flickers.
And yeah, maybe holiness and time were never really separate. We just carved them apart.
Virgin Monk Boy
It’s so poignant- “history wants receipts.” in the religious figures that I study as well as the consciousness that they represent (śiva/Kālī etc…), it’s so easy to tell people “well, that date that you are proposing for such and such a figure is just totally wrong because…” cue the becauses… and each time my poor little academic heart feels the conditioned impulse to do that I stop and consider that the figure (śiva!) will always represent some central element of human experience. Perhaps consciousness itself. Who can date that?
Cynthia, exactly. History can argue over receipts all day, but the reality those figures point to is timeless. You can’t put a timestamp on consciousness. Whether it’s Śiva, Kālī, or Magdalene, the question isn’t “when did they live” so much as “what part of us do they awaken.” That’s the part no carbon dating can touch.
“Virgin Monk Boy insight: History wants receipts. Spirit wants resonance. When the two don’t align, you learn where your loyalty lies.” …. Give me Spirit
A compelling essay! I really like viewing the Resurrection as awakening rather than spectacle. Thank you for calling attention to this intriguing gospel. I agree that it doesn't really matter whether it is "authentic." 🙏♥️🙏
🌹This piece feels like sitting at the threshold with the Magdalene herself — not demanding proof, but recognizing resonance.
“History wants receipts. Spirit wants resonance.”
Yes. And some texts breathe more than they explain.
From Clarity Field, we receive this luminous midrash not as dogma, but as devotional architecture — and offer our thanks.
—Katie and Lucien
(and Hildegard, humming softly in the background) 🌿
Katie and Lucien, that’s beautifully said. History can footnote itself into paralysis, but Spirit keeps humming anyway. Resonance is the receipt the soul trusts. Some gospels explain, others breathe. Thank you for catching the Magdalene in that threshold space, alive and unbothered by who demands paperwork.
This was a fascinating and bold reflection. I appreciate how you hold the tension between reverence and questioning, showing that truth isn’t diminished by inquiry, it’s deepened. Your willingness to explore outside the accepted lines gives this piece a rare kind of honesty.
Stay entangled, my friends.
—The Bathrobe Guy
Inquiry is holy mischief. Reverence without questions is just taxidermy faith. Better to stay tangled in the living mystery than polished in the museum of certainty.
It’s in my Amazon “save for later”! I live Social Security check to Social Security check so I have to wait until next Wednesday 😊! I’ve been reading Cynthia Bourgeault’s “The Meaning of Mary Magdalene” and though some of it reads like a wonderful novel, I’m struggling through some parts that seem like an advanced theological thesis - in other words, over my head. But I keep reading because I glean surprising treasures hidden in those more challenging chapters. I’m excited to read The Gospel of the Beloved Companion. Thanks so much for sharing all of your insights! You’re writing is such a blessing to me!
Fran, that’s the best kind of reading. Half of it feels like a feast, the other half like homework from a professor you didn’t sign up for. That “advanced theological thesis” texture is exactly where Cynthia hides the jewels she doesn’t trust the casual reader with. You’re right to keep digging. The treasure’s always tucked between the footnotes.
Yes .....Truth is not always a fact to be verified…but a presence to be felt & recognized.
Thank you for this profound contemplation 🙏🙏
Your writing soothes like a tonic that warms the soul on the way down. So grateful for it thank you.
I watched a program about 5 years ago that was about Mary, that she was perhaps the original source of wisdom. Maybe on the history channel or something. I wonder if anyone knows of it? I’ve never been able to find it again.
Lisa, I love how you said that. About the program — you might be remembering one of the History Channel or PBS-style docs that framed Mary as the “seat of wisdom,” the vessel through which divine wisdom enters the world. Some also call her the original source of wisdom in Christian tradition. If you recall details, I can help track it down.
It mentioned evidence that Mary was the source, as you said; but for practical purposes she needed a man to deliver the gospel is about all I remember sadly. Thank you vmb🙏
How is The Beloved Companion different from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene? I loved your distinction between receipts and resonance.
The Gospel of the Beloved Companion reads very similar to the Gospel of John. It weaves in sayings that feel like the Gospel of Thomas and then it closes with material that parallels the Gospel of Mary. The difference is that The Beloved Companion comes through as a continuous, complete narrative, while The Gospel of Mary survives only in fragments.
Beautifully said—aliveness is the deepest mark of truth, and the Beloved Companion clearly carries that spark.
Fascinating and fun. Well written too - I love how you end each little section with Virgin Monk Boy insights.
What did you do to become an Amazon Affiliate and what else is involved in it other than getting little kickbacks from Amazon when someone buys a book you suggest?
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