All are welcome to this St Francis College Public Lecture: The Idea of the Magdalene

given by Emeritus Professor Philip C. Almond

Mary Magdalene is a key figure in the history of Christianity. After Mary, the mother of Jesus, she remains the most important female saint in her guise both as primary witness to the resurrection and 'apostle of the apostles'.

Join us on September 8 at 5:00pm for Evening Prayer in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, followed by refreshments and the Public Lecture with Emeritus Professor Philip Almond from 6:30pm in Lecture Room 1.

Please register via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../st-francis-college...

In his recent book Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History, Philip Almond focused on her 'lives' as these have been imagined and reimagined within Christian tradition. Philip Almond disentangles the numerous narratives that have shaped the story of Mary over the past two millennia and through a thoughtful exploration of the 'idea' of the Magdalene – her cult, her relics, her legacy – he has managed to deftly peel back complex layers of history and myth to reveal many different versions of the Magdalene, including but not limited to: the penitent prostitute; demoniac; miracle worker; wife and lover of Jesus; symbol of the erotic; and New Age goddess.