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Year 9 - Religious education

The Gospel of Mary

Matriarchs: are the women of the Bible victors or victims?

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will take a hermenutical reading of scripture to assess the status of women in the Bible. Through a series of key stories they will analyse how women are portrayed and how these stories have been interpreted and re-interpreted over the centuries.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how the books of the Bible were chosen and how the Gospel of Mary relates to this.

Key Notes

  • When, where and why texts are canonised can help us better understand the type of authority that the text has.
  • The Gospel of Mary is believed to be from the second century C.E. and is non-canonical.
  • Mary Magdalene has a significant role as a leader of the other disciples in this writing.
  • The Gospel of Mary shows us that the early Christians were debating the role of women in the Church.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • apocryphal: writings that are not officially accepted as part of the Bible, and so are non-canonical.
  • apostle: early Christian leaders responsible for spreading the message of Jesus
  • canonical: books or texts which are officially accepted as part of the Bible
  • gospel: meaning 'good news'; referring to the teachings and revelation of Jesus Christ
  • Mary Magdalene: a follower of Jesus, known for her role as a key figure in the early Christian community

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The Gospel of Mary is thought to be about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

When, where and why texts are canonised can help us better understand the type of authority that the text has. The Gospel of Mary is believed to be from the second century C.E. and is non-canonical.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'apocryphal'

writings that are not officially accepted as part of the Bible, and so are non-canonical.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: The Gospel of Mary is thought to be about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Correction: The Gospel of Mary is thought to be related to Mary Magdalene. There are other apocraphal writings in relation to Mary, the mother of Jesus, however, such as the Infancy Gospel of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

More Lessons In This Unit

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