In celebration of Women’s History Month, please join us for an insightful journey into the life and legacy of Mary Magdalene. Drawing on canonical and extra-canonical texts including The Gospel of Mary, sacred art, long-held traditions in France, as well as the latest academic scholarship, this exploration of Mary Magdalene will invite you to examine your own relationship with the Divine. Sessions will include teachings, contemplative practices, time for reflection, and sharing in small groups. You will be able to register for the complete series or for individual sessions.
Video recordings of each session will be made available to participants.
Class #1 - The Disciple - March 9th
First, we will take a close look at early Christian writings that portray Mary Magdalene as the one who best exemplifies what it means to follow the teachings of Jesus in contrast to the way she has been maligned over the centuries.
Class #2 - The Apostle - March 16th
Next, we will consider new research that is recovering Mary’s role as a significant spiritual leader while thinking about what that means for us today.
Class #3 - The Contemplative - March 23rd
In this session, we will explore how Mary’s vision in The Gospel of Mary provides valuable insight into contemplative aims and practices that have survived to this day.
Class #4 - The Beloved - March 30th
Finally, we will discuss the questions and controversy surrounding the relationship between Mary and Jesus and the way their intimate connection invites us to integrate both the feminine and masculine into our spirituality.
Allison DeHart has a MSEd in Human Development Services from the University of Dayton and an MA in Contemplative Religion from Naropa University. She is a certified Circle of Trust® facilitator with the Center for Courage & Renewal and a certified enneagram teacher and coach as well as a spiritual director. Extra-canonical texts, such as the Gospel of Mary, captured Allison’s heart and imagination after being exposed to them as a student in Wisdom Schools with modern-day mystic Cynthia Bourgeault and inspired her to study them in more depth while an MA student at Naropa University.
Deborah Saxon has a BA from Baylor University, a dual MA from Indiana University, and a PhD from the Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver Joint Program. She currently teaches religion classes at Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and is certified as a labyrinth walk facilitator with Veriditas. In 2018, she published The Care of the Self in Early Christian Texts (Palgrave Macmillan). She has a passion for exploring the rich diversity of extra-canonical texts and lifting up the voices of the women within them.