cover image The Gospel According to Mary

The Gospel According to Mary

Miriam Therese Winter. Crossroad Publishing Company, $14.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-8245-1174-6

Feminist Bible scholar Winter ( Woman Wisdom ) offers an alternative reading of the Christian gospel. She imaginatively posits the discovery of another gospel, written by a woman named Mary--a protegee of John and a niece to John Mark--who highlights the importance of women in the life of Jesus and in the early church. The book details Jesus's birth, early life and ministry, then digresses to present a catalogue of Jesus's teachings. The final section resumes the account of Jesus's life from the Transfiguration through Pentecost. Winter consciously chooses to stick closely to the story as reported in the canonical gospels, avoiding overly fanciful speculation but choosing to report those events that will prove liberating for women. Even so there are surprising moments. Her account of the coming of the Magi, which imagines them as wise women bringing their gifts to finance the Holy Family's flight to Egypt, is both compelling and more poignant than the biblical tale. And in Winter's vision, the rich young ruler who questions Jesus is a woman. Provocative and well-written, this book should be of interest to anyone wanting to further ponder the life of Jesus and the making of the Bible. (Mar.)