Describes a secret gospel written by Mary Magdalene who, after the crucifixion of Jesus, preaches a new faith based upon male and female equality, but whose message is rejected by Simon Peter and other disciples, who teach their own gospel.

A gospel, as ancient and authentic as any of the gospels that the Christian bible contains, was buried deep in the Egyptian desert after an edict was sent out in the 4th century to have all copies of it destroyed. Fortunately, some rebel monks were wise enough to refuse-and thanks to their disobedience and spiritual bravery, we have several manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

Raised like sisters, Mariamne and Salome are indulged with riches, position, and learning-a rare thing for females in Jerusalem. But Mariamne has a further gift: an illness has left her with visions; she has the power of prophecy. It is her prophesying that drives the two girls to flee to Egypt, where they study philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy in the Great Library of Alexandria.
After seven years they return to a Judaea where many now believe...

Mary Magdalene acts as both narrator and participant in Magdalena: Released from shame, as she traces through the story of lives that have come into contact with this man, Jesus, and have been powerfully released from shame.

The first person to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection has been the victim of misrepresentation. Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute. Rather, she, was a woman of wealth whose financial support was crucial to the early survival of Christianity. The special relationship she had with Christ led to resentment among the other disciples, and her reputation was tarnished as a result. Drawing on ancient texts, rare art and research, this far-reaching...

She is one of the most transformative yet misunderstood women in history, alternately vilified as a sinner and canonized as a saint. For the first time, the incredible story of Mary Magdalene is told through her own eyes. In the first century A.D., the free-spirited Mary flees the marriage her family has arranged for her, finding refuge and a sense of purpose in a radical new movement led by the charismatic, rabble-rousing preacher Jesus.