In Search of Truth: The Bible and Mary Magdalene (S2E1)

Welcome to In Search Of, a podcast where we go in search of voices and perspectives that inform and expand a life of faith. In this episode, Amy speaks with singer/songwriter-turned-Biblical scholar Elizabeth Schrader Polczer about Mary Magdalene. Listen as Elizabeth tells Amy the story of the encounter in a garden that led her to enroll in seminary, learn Greek, interrogate norms of textual criticism, and work with the best Biblical scholars all in her search for the truth about Mary Magdalene. All this and more on today’s episode of In Search Of. A transcript of this episode is available here.

Elizabeth Schrader Polczer is a biblical scholar focusing on textual criticism, Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of John. She is a doctoral candidate in Early Christianity and New Testament at Duke University and an incoming Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University.

Related Christian Century Content:

• Translation as an act of love by Amy Frykholm (interview with Carmen Butcher) (March 2022)

• Was Mary Magdalene really from Magdala? Two scholars examine the evidence by Yonat Shimron (Jan 2022

• Can H. L. Hix improve on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John by Jeffrey L. Johnson (March 2021)

• Lazarus’s story is one of grief–and hope by Katie Hines-Shah (Lectionary) (March 2020)

• Bruised and blessed by scripture by Emmy Kegler (March 2019)

• Mary Magdalene is every woman by Amy Frykholm (May 2017)

Elsewhere:

• Elizabeth’s Mary Magdalene song.

• Links to Elizabeth's scholarly articles: 

  • Was Martha of Bethany added to the Fourth Gospel in Second Century? 

  • The Meaning of Magdalene: A Review of Literary Evidence 

• Nag Hammadi: http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html 

• Papyrus 66: https://manuscripts.csntm.org/manuscript/View/GA_P66 

• Johanus.com: https://itseeweb.cal.bham.ac.uk/iohannes/ 

• Bible hub: https://biblehub.com/ 

• Vetus Latina: http://www.vetuslatina.org/ 

• Pistis Sophia: http://gnosis.org/library/pistis-sophia/index.htm 

• Gospel of Mary: http://gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm 

• Gospel of Philip: http://gnosis.org/naghamm/gop.html 

• Elizabeth’s website: https://www.elizabethschrader.com/about

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