Mary Magdalene is one of the most controversial figures in church history.
While colleges in Oxford and Cambridge are named after her, she was called
a prostitute by Pope Gregory the Great; it stuck with her throughout the
centuries, even though there is no biblical evidence. From the Four Biblical
Gospels, which declare her to be Mother Mary's adopted daughter, to the
Egyptian Gospels, which suggest she was chosen to lead the church, to The
DaVinci Code, which has her marrying Jesus, the history and truth of Mary
Magdalen continue to be widely debated today.
– Rev. Charles Brock, M.Litt. and Molly Monahan Lang, Ph.D.
Rev. Charles Brock, M.Litt. is director of the Brock Institute for Mega Issues Education at the Jefferson Educational Society. An Erie native, Rev. Brock is an emeritus fellow, chaplain, and director of Ministerial Education at Mansfield College, Oxford, UK, where he taught for 35 years. In addition to being a founding member of the Jefferson and serving as Secretary of the Jefferson Board of Trustees, Rev. Brock is acting minister of The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Girard.