Arguably, the one most misrepresented woman in the Bible is Mary Magdalene. Her characterisation in the Gospel narratives is fuzzy, and if one only went by her legendary confused, suppressed identity, she could well be the prostitute that the church portrays her to be. And yet, this Mary – whether she was from Magdala or Bethany – gives the impression of someone behind the ‘purdah’. Her half-hidden identity peeps out through hints here and there. Even though the edited Gospels we read today lack in the detail of her character, yet Jesus’ response to her, and her undeniable presence simply cannot be ignored. 

Jean D’Souza

The author is a researcher of Religion Studies, and a scholar of English Literature. She is keenly interested in comparative religion, children’s literature, Indian culture and gender studies.