Episode 30 is a conversation with Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about the connection between Mary Magdalene of 2000 years ago and the recent Vatican action regarding the ordination of women.
It’s an especially poignant topic for Barbara, since she is an ordained Catholic priest herself. She and I share a special appreciation for Mary Magdalene, as we find her an example of Christian leadership. Scholars are fascinated with this woman, because she exemplifies so many things right and wrong in the history of Christianity.
Here was a woman of obvious spiritual maturity who was a leader of the apostles 
during the time of Jesus and immediately after. But her male detractors succeeded in marginalizing or misconstruing her message and place among Christian thinkers and leaders. But her re-emergence as an important Christian in recent years is causing a great deal of re-thinking among scholars and church leaders.
It is ironic that only two days after the Vatican announced its new policy regarding sex abuse among priests – managing to equate the horror of pedophilia with the ordination of women – Barbara Zeman is giving a homily on the subject of honoring Mary Magdalene. Listen to our discussion on women leaders. We raise the point that there is a critical difference between a servant leader and a servant governed or manipulated by someone else. Both can serve, but the former serves according to her/his own heart. The latter serves due to the manipulation of others. Power and prestige is not the goal, but exercising the authority of one’s own conscience is.
- See Barbara’s poem: She goes before us
- USA today report on Vatican statement on child sex abuse
- Catholic womenpriests press release on Vatican statement
#1 by Britta on September 1st, 2010 - 7:25 am
Thanks for all the interesting podcast conversations. Lots of food for thought. Just a little correction. Yes, it was Martha that came to Jesus first when he arrived after Lazarus had been buried, however it was Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet, while Martha was ‘cumbered about many things’ doing the housework and asking Jesus to tell Mary to help her.