Why Cynthia Bourgeault Pointed Me to Jean-Yves Leloup (and Why I'm Glad She Did)

How the Gospel of Mary Became a Bridge Between Centering Prayer and the Prayer of the Heart

If you’ve read Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, you might recall her frequent references to Jean-Yves Leloup. When I saw those footnotes, I took it as more than academic sourcing—I took it as a quiet endorsement. So I picked up Leloup’s commentary on The Gospel of Mary, and what I found wasn’t just insightful—it was foundational.

The Shared DNA of Contemplative Lineages

Cynthia comes from the lineage of Centering Prayer, through Thomas Keating and the Wisdom School tradition. Leloup, by contrast, emerges from the Orthodox world, immersed in prière du cœur (the Jesus Prayer) and the contemplative silence of hesychasm. Their vocabularies differ, but the terrain is the same: inner stillness, heart-knowledge, and the recovery of the divine image in us.

Both treat Mary Magdalene not as a moral cautionary tale or supporting character, but as an incarnation of Divine Wisdom—Sophia herself. So when Cynthia quotes Leloup, she’s not outsourcing her theology. She’s harmonizing it with a lineage that shares her depth and reverence.

Where Leloup Shows Up in Cynthia’s Work

If you track Cynthia’s references, you’ll notice his fingerprints throughout her book:

• Seven Demons as Shadow Work (p. 14): Cynthia reframes Mary’s “exorcism” as integration work. That’s pure Leloup—he sees the seven demons as psychological fragmentation.

• Seeing the Risen One with a Pure Heart (p. 68): Cynthia links Mary’s inner clarity with her ability to recognize Christ. That’s Leloup’s play on katharos kardias—purity of heart as gnosis.

• The Intimacy of Koinōnos: Cynthia wrestles with the word often translated as “companion.” She explores Leloup’s version alongside others to show how the relationship between Mary and Jesus was sacred—not romanticized.

Leloup’s translation itself is a gift: parallel columns of Coptic, Greek, French, and English. Even if you don’t read ancient languages, you can feel the care.

How to Read Them Together

Here’s the approach I took:

1. Read Leloup’s Gospel of Mary straight through—no commentary—just to let the text speak.

2. Dive into Cynthia’s Part Two (“Mary and Jesus”) while keeping Leloup nearby. You’ll see how deeply she draws from him.

3. Return to Leloup’s commentary, especially logia 4–5 and 18–19, where he unpacks the figure of the anthrōpos—the complete human. That’s the bridge between Mary Magdalene’s witness and our own inner transformation.

4. Try the practices. Sit for 20 minutes in Centering Prayer. Then try a few minutes of the Jesus Prayer in Leloup’s form. Let the difference in texture wash over you.

What About the Critics?

Yes, Leloup has his detractors. Some scholars say he over-interprets or poeticizes the text. A few Orthodox traditionalists bristle at his interfaith openness. But Cynthia isn’t quoting him lightly. She’s discerning. Her references to Leloup are a signal: here is someone who has done the work—in translation, in contemplation, and in devotion.

Final Takeaway

Cynthia gave me the roadmap. Leloup handed me the original scroll. Used together, they’re a contemplative toolkit: Centering Prayer and Prayer of the Heart speaking to each other through the voice of Mary Magdalene.

If you’re on this path, don’t read one without the other. They belong together—like breath and silence, like word and light.

---

Before you vanish back into the illusion—smash that LIKE or SHARE button like you're breaking open an alabaster jar. One small click, one bold act of remembrance.

And if this stirred something in your chest cavity (or your third eye), consider a paid subscription. Or a one time donation by It keeps the scrolls unrolling, the incense smoldering, and the Magdalene movement caffeinated. ☕️🔥

Fuel the Magdalene Rebellion.