Retrieval of Mary Magdalene Symbols. Mary K. Hagley, Adrian College, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Adrian, MI 49221 As a Christian, I want to retrieve symbols of women from within my tradition and remain faithful to it. As a feminist, who contends that the Christian message can empower women, I wane to re-envision these symbols to help women realize their potential as disciples. As a young biblical scholar, headed for the United Methodist pastorate, I want to responsibly use texts, both canonical and non-canonical. In relation to Christian texts about women, my question is what to do when texts are elliptical and sparse concerning women. The texts surrounding Mary Magdalene are sparse, especially within canonical texts, but I contend her life and story could still be empowering. First, 1 look at how the early texts portray Mary Magdalene, and then 1 look at the contexts that produced such texts. Second, I compare these early Mary Magdalene symbols with those in our present culture. I argue that too often these symbols merely mirror culture. For example, Mary Magdalene the whore is a symbol for laundry asylums in the 19th Century. I further argue that retrieving an interpretation of her more faithful to the canonical teachings could produce a symbol powerful enough to challenge young Christian women to he leaders.
