Marriages of the Magdalene

This novel breaks through centuries of dogma and legend to uncover the lost beginnings of Christianity, re-imagining the untold stories of Mary Magdalene and John the Beloved. Long-time friend Naphtali wants to set the record straight about their inspirational lives. He shares their story.

First century Palestine seethes under Roman rule and suffocating religious conventions. The young man who will be called John tries to live by strict patriarchal rules. His rebellious new wife Mary secretly follows heretical goddess traditions. They pull in opposing directions. Then Jesus the prophet challenges them to walk mystical paths of inner development. From their brave decision to discover who they are, two remarkable destinies will unfold, as they come to know the deepest wellspring of love.

Helen Martineau is a performer, arts writer and biographer who enjoys exploring the wisdom of the ages. Marriages of the Magdalene is a work of spiritual fiction informed by in-depth historical knowledge and imaginative reconstruction of initiatory experiences before the formation of the church. Her story of the intertwined journeys of Mary and John reveals the genuinely free human being—as the undivided self, enfolded into a larger social and ecological whole. In our age of trauma, division and a hunger for meaning the book has a compelling message.