A new Italian book criticizing the betrayal of Mary Magdalene as an icon of the “sacred feminine” has captured the attention of the country’s media.Mario Arturo Iannaccone, an Italian scholar whose previous works have touched on themes of Gnosticism and alleged Biblical conspiracies, reports that in modern times Mary Magdalene– depicted in the Gospel as a repentant sinner and follower of Christ– has emerged in a new light as the representative of “the sacred feminine and a spirituality of the goddess.”

This radically altered view of the Christian saint– which closely follows the thesis put forward by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code– has been promoted by pagan influences including Wicca and New Age spirituality, the book says. The new view of Mary Magdalene, Iannaccone argues, is “more promising, relativistic, and multicultural: perfect for the modern mentality.”

The Italian daily Corriere della Sera has given prominent coverage to the Iannaccone’s critical approach. The daily Avvenire, published by the Italian bishops’ conference, devoted a full page to the book, entitling the review, “Hands Off Mary Magdalene.”

Source: Catholic World News

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