Mary of Magdala, the first apostle of the resurrection, appears regularly in our post-Easter readings. Just who was Mary of Magdala and how did she go from being the first apostle of the resurrection to a repentant prostitute? See this excellent article from the Smithsonian Magazine by James Carroll http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/magdalene.html?c=y&page=1c.

Future Church also provides information on Mary of Magdala http://www.futurechurch.org/.

The history of Mary of Magdala in the church shows how patriarchy “eliminated” the rightful role of women in the church. Women moved from being leaders in the early communities to being second-class citizens in the church as Mary moved from being the apostle of the resurrection to prostitute.