Read Chapter 1, Mary, Mary in Bride in Exile
Then answer the following questions. Send your answers to theAbbey Council, with Bride inExile 1 from (your spiritual name) in the subject line.
1. What woman’s name was extremely common in New Testament times?
2. What was an Ancient Near Eastern symbol of dishonor, even rape?
3. In this role, scorned and vilified, she embodies the mythology ofboth the Greek ______________ and the Jewish ________________.
4. Does the Greek word used to call Mary a “sinner” in Luke connotea prostitute?
5. After what event were early Christians prompted to write down thestory of Jesus’s life?
6. Jesus often illustrated his points with parables and stories drawnfrom the daily experiences of ________________.
7. What archetypal aspects of the feminine may be represented by thethree female companions of Jesus?
8. What are the three classic phases of the lunar goddess?
ESSAY: Do you think the writer of Luke was deliberately trying to discreditMary Magdalene by saying that Jesus cast demons out of her? Why or why not?Please use information from scripture to support your answer (though youdon’t necessarily have to give chapter and verse — just the impression youget from the Biblical passages is fine).
(Here are Presvytera Deborah’s thoughts:) Yes, but I’m not sure it was anythingpersonal; the writer of Luke was a supporter of Paul and his legacy, andtherefore took pains to discredit a number of individuals in order to exaltPaul. This is particularly true in the book of Acts, which is accreditedto the same person; Peter and James are made to seem petty and mean-spirited,whereas Paul is the hero of the story.
Questions by Presvytera Deborah
