bear that commentary in mind. And I really like Elizabeth Johnson's work on Mary.

But it's so hard to dialogue with these theologians who invoke such tired old sexist tropes... and yet we can't just write them off entirely.

I was really intrigued by what I'd read about Balthasar and his theology of beauty in my survey book, but I was very disheartened by what I found at the library tonight. Not just the "humble Mary" stuff, but also he's written a bunch of stuff on human sexuality, where he insists on a "tension" between hierarchy and equality... claiming that men and women are equal in redemption, but that men have priority over women in creation. And that feminism is all about making women like men. Oh puh-leese.

I'm really disappointed. I brought home some books to skim through bits of anyway, but I don't think I'll be adding him to my favorites reading list.

Sarah lied to one of the angels (or the Lord, depending on the translation) about laughing, and the OT never says that she is punished.  Nothing happens to her for it.

• Mary Magdalene suffered worse than just being excluded from the "apostle club" - she suffered a ecclesiastical smear campaign by being confused with a prostitute in many traditions of Christianity. Oh, and some people think it is possible that the Gospel of John was written by Mary Magdalene or another female follower of Christ... I'm still not sure how I feel about this theory, but I think it'd be cool if it were true.
• Mary is to me a good example of how sometimes, despite all our good karma, love, and right actions, shit still happens. She really suffered a LOT... and I think we can look to her and see how we too can make it through the shitty times in our lives... it isn't going to be easy, but we can do it.
• The very name Sara means "she laughs"... she recieved a new name that accepted this as part of her being.  The Jewish faith tradition takes pride in people questioning God and saying "Hey! Whoah! That doesn't make sense!" to which either God or the angel representing him to people will say "Hey, I know, but is anything impossible for God?"

  It's not questioning God and his acts that is frowned on, it's ignoring God, his actions, his laws, and his love when you've been told that is the problem. (see Genesis/Bereshit chapter 8, verse 12)

of the parallels between Mary and Isis.

that in the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) of the Christian bible, the word "virgin" is also sometimes translated as "young girl."  

(I have no idea whether this is true.  Any theologians around to confirm/correct?)

Isis/Jesus parallels are interesting:  
Where you riches will not help you here.
You are your sister's keeper
I am the one within, among and beyond all.
etc.

...a book in the future.  I think it would be a great idea.  Do share with the rest of the world, Zoskie.  You could help some people.

Shekah

Thanks for your comment, Zoskie.

I'm actually named for Mary under one of her many titles, and I have had a very conflicted relationship with her: mostly because of the way she's been thrown up at me by the patriarchal institutional church, also because of the whole mother thing. ("Mother" is not a positive symbol in my personal symbology.)

BUT. When I can get past that -- no, not past it. When I go around that, and meet her in other contexts, when I can see her as a sister - I see her as a sister to be proud of and to admire.

I rewrote the Hail Mary once - it went something like this:

Hail, Mary, full of strength:
God is with you.
Admired are you among women,
not only because of the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Courageous Mary, mother of us all,
pray for us, your sisters,
now
and at every moment of our lives.
Amen.

I always picture Mary composing the Magnificat on her way to visit Elizabeth: starting with Hannah's hymn and elaborating on it, singing it to herself as she walks alone, over the hills and through the fields.

The image is so strong in my mind that I tend to forget she didn't just sing it to herself -- which you can't lose humble points for, IMHO -- but to Elizabeth as well.

Beth Johnson's work -- I haven't read Truly Our Sister yet, but my cousin gave me Dangerous Memories: A Mosaic of Mary in Scripture. It's a fairly short book (excerpted from the larger work) and an easy read.

And the memories are "dangerous", of course, because they threaten that domesticated, idolized tradition.... :)

in the Mary and Martha story, Jesus made it plain that Mary was the equal of the guys, the cigar-smoking, brandy-drinking Apostles, in the story.  It was the guys who screwed it up later on.

Just because someone interprets a story one way doesn't make it so.  Just look at the whole myth of Sodom, based on the interpretation on one word, "know".  It's a shame that no one tells the whole story, starting with the war and ending with Lot's drunken incest.